Our Thoughts On “Imported” Rescue Dogs….
This editorial is written in response to this article, which appeared in the Calgary Sun recently:
http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/01/10/calgary-animal-shelters-have-bone-to-pick-with-international-pet-rescue-groups
The Calgary Humane Society is perfectly right to say that there is a lot to clean up in our own backyard in regards to helping animals. For decades, we have been facing a serious pet overpopulation problem that has seen little improvement. We have failed to make meaningful changes to our laws & policies that would limit or stop more animals from being brought into this world when there are already so many that are struggling to find homes. On Alberta’s First Nations reservations, one of which is a direct neighbour to Calgary, it is not just veterinary care that they cannot access, but basics like food, water & shelter for the animals. Traditionally, the big shelters in this country have viewed their role in society as “cleaning up the streets” of stray and unwanted pets. This means taking animals in and then either adopting them out or killing them. It appears that little has changed for most of these big shelters over the decades. Yet, many people in the animal rescue world started thinking of this as insanity – to just keep taking animals in and then killing them, yet doing nothing to stop the problem. They believed there was a better way. They believed that every animal deserved a chance. They believed that it was important to spay / neuter all pets to stem the tide of homeless animals. And thus, the no-kill animal rescue groups were born.
With the formation of no-kill groups, a change in attitude has taken place. It is these smaller groups who are out on the front lines, waging the war to help animals. The small groups operate spay / neuter clinics in Alberta with the hard-earned money they fundraise. They are the ones who rescue animals who have been hit by cars and left to die in ditches. They take in the seniors and the animals with behavioural or health issues, as they know these animals do not stand a chance in a big shelter. Now, even the big shelters have started appealing to the small groups to take those animals that they themselves cannot or will not help. Yet, apparently the small groups are not seen as being partners with the big shelters, but rather as competition. Instead of working hand in hand with each other, the big shelters want to fight the little ones for sympathy, donations and support.
The problem in our backyard is not a few rescue groups “importing” dogs. The problem is breeding – be it commercial facilities, backyard breeders and even just those irresponsible pet owners who allow their pets to have litters of puppies & kittens. The group Actions Speak Louder has been trying to put an end to the sale of pets in pet stores as well as fighting to stop puppy mills. They have unanimous support from the small rescue groups, but the Calgary Humane Society has so far refused to come on board. The Calgary Humane Society is apparently angry about a few hundred dogs being imported into Alberta each year, yet they will not take a stand against the breeders who are producing thousands of puppies here each year? These “imported” dogs are at least spayed or neutered before being placed in their new homes, so they cannot produce any offspring, but the puppies sold at pet stores and by breeders are not normally altered and can continue to breed. The imported dogs are rescued for reasons of compassion, the ones sold by breeders & in pet stores are only brought into this world for financial profit. Until we change our laws and bring about an end to commercial breeding and invoke mandatory spay / neuter regulations, the pet overpopulation problem will continue. If groups such as the Calgary Humane Society would focus on the real issues instead of pointing fingers at other rescuers, their time would be better spent, for a greater purpose.
The actions of Spencer Sekyer and people like him should be commended, not criticized. He is one of the few people who chose to confront misery and take action instead of just looking the other way & doing nothing. Where is the compassion in attacking anyone who cared enough to save an animal’s life just because that animal was not suffering inside the Calgary city limits? By the same token, should we not have sent help to Haiti or Japan because they are not in our backyard? Should we not build schools in Afghanistan because our own classrooms are overcrowded? Should we not send medical aid to war torn countries because our own hospitals need improvement? Maybe someone should let Doctors Without Borders know that they are wrong to do what they do because we need them here more in our own rural areas. Are we not to help anyone beyond our own borders because we have to come first? Animal welfare, like so many other issues, is a global concern. When dogs are rescued from Mexico, it gives the shelter workers there hope. It says to them that we are all united in our cause and that they have friends to turn to. Dogs in places like Afghanistan endure unimaginable suffering. There, dog fighting is a normal form of legal entertainment and most people consider dogs to be filthy, diseased & absolutely worthless. Yet, there are still people who feel compassion for these dogs and want to help them. Spencer Sekyer’s actions probably meant the world to those people. Now they know they are not alone, that people in Canada care enough to help.
Compassion should always be celebrated. Compassion knows no borders. Yes, these imported dogs will have to be accommodated here in Alberta, while we have so many hundreds of our own already struggling to find homes. But the pet overpopulation problem here is due to our own failures & shortcomings. It is not because a kind tourist brought a dog back on their trip to Mexico or because an animal rescue group saves some Chihuahuas from death row in a shelter in California. These poor dogs should be welcomed by all of us with open arms and inspire us to work even harder to improve animal welfare around the world.
