THUNDER BAY - Dozens of dogs will soon find new homes after a lengthy journey across the province.
The Provincial Animal Transfer Program is overseeing the transfer of more than 70 dogs from remote northern communities to Southern Ontario.
On Monday, 43 dogs stopped in Thunder Bay from Wabaseemoong Independent Nation on the way to Sudbury. The team will then travel to Mishkeegogamang First Nation where another 30 dogs will be picked up and transferred to Sudbury and Newmarket.
“They are going to various humane societies to be put up for adoption,” said Judy Decicco, chairperson of Northern Services Committee with the OSPCA. “This is the fourth transfer we’ve done and the dogs hardly even get out on the humane society floors before they are adopted.”
The Provincial Animal Transfer Program is a collaborative effort between various partners.The dogs were collected by members of the communities with the help of OSPCA agents and Decicco said they are mostly stray or un-owned dogs.
“What we like to do is go in and transfer those dogs out first and then follow up with a spay neuter clinic,” she said.
Decicco said all dogs received extensive veterinary care before travelling, and will again when they arrive at the humane societies.
In 2015, a similar transfer saw 75 dogs from Whitefish First Nation transported to Southern Ontario where all animals were adopted.
According to Decicco, the OSPCA was contacted by leadership of Wabaseemoong and Mishkeegogamang to assist in removing the stray animals.
“There are dog fights and sometimes people are injured,” she said. “They are reaching out to us, which is great, and they understand that they do have problems, so we are trying to assist in the best way we can.”
The primary cause of so many stray dogs in remote communities is a lack of proper veterinary care, Decicco said.
“So the animals reproduce indiscriminately and then they become a problem, they start to pack, and it becomes a health and safety issue on these remote communities,” Decicco continued.
And more communities are recognizing the issue and looking to the OSPCA for help.
“The requests are becoming more frequent,” Decicco said. “It’s really nice to see in Thunder Bay the different rescue groups that are assisting today. There are at least five different groups that are helping out and it’s nice to see the collaborative effort of all the people helping out.”
