Dr. Brent MacLeod of the High River Veterinary Clinic spays a dog from the Blood Reserve on April 28. Local veterinarians are helping to address the over population of dogs on the reserve. Fifteen dogs were fixed by Foothills area veterinarians last month. photo by Bruce Campbell
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By Tamara Neely
Staff Reporter
Needing to address the out-of-control dog population on the Blood Reserve, located southwest of Lethbridge, residents handed their canines over to a team of local volunteers to be spayed and neutered April 27-28.
This is the fourth time the clinics was offered to the reserve’s residents by Pound Rescue, a charitable organization, based in Okotoks.
“The native population have lots of animals – sometimes they have 10 dogs per family – because they have no money to fix their animals,” said Gabriele Barrie, founder of Pound Rescue. “This (project) has been well-received at the reserve; the First Nations people are extremely grateful. They’re very concerned about their dogs.”
There are no veterinarians on the reserve and Barrie said residents are troubled by the number of dogs roaming around, aggressive, sick, starving and pregnant – but they are at a loss to deal with the situation themselves.
“Many dogs don’t make it, they die a miserable death from starvation or freezing, or from diseases like Parvo (Canine Parvovirus) – there is lots of Parvo on the reserves – which could easily be prevented by vaccination, but there’s no money,” said Barrie. “We decided we’d help. In my opinion they’re the most needy animals and most needy people in our area.”
Volunteers could only take 15 dogs on this trip, due to space and cost of the veterinarian services, which range between $125 and $220 per dog.
“We pay for all of it,” said Barrie. “(The project) needs a lot of money; without money we can’t do anything.”
Muriel Bullshields is grateful for the help. She has lived on the Blood Reserve since 1999 and her concern about the health of dogs in that community prompted her to take in abandoned animals in 2000.
“People want help for their animals and they’re so thankful,” said Bullshields. “When we first had our spay/neuter clinics they were skeptical – they were afraid to let (their pets) go, and now they’re just pouring in.”
Bullshields said Pound Rescue and other organizations, including Second Chance Animal Rescue Society, Animal Rescue Foundation and Pets 4 Life, have also helped the reserve by finding adoptive homes for some of the strays.
The overpopulation created a situation where dogs were gathering in packs and terrorizing other dogs and people.
“That’s why people carried sticks – the dogs were packing and biting people,” said Bullshields. “The chief and the council had ordered police to shoot dogs that bit or stray dogs.”
Bullshields was devastated that the dogs would be killed violently, since it was hunger that was driving them to behave aggressively. Well fed and cared for, the same dogs could be family pets. Dogs that are beyond reform could be put down peacefully, instead, by euthanization.
Bullshields said the overpopulation is due to a lack of education about caring for animals. With continued spay/neuter clinics Bullshields has witnessed a change in attitude towards having dogs fixed. However, the problem of finances remains, since most residents live on welfare and they don’t have enough money to pay for vet bills.
Pound Rescue welcomes donations; cheques can be dropped off at the Western Wheel. They are always in need of old towels, bedding or sleeping bags, phone 938-4890 to schedule a pick up or drop off.
Since they rescue a steady stream of dogs and cats, Pound Rescue is always looking for people to adopt animals and for families to foster strays in the interim.
For more information about Pound Rescue or to have a look at the animals that need families to adopt them, go to www.poundrescue.com
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