Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Hay River (Oct 21/02) - Last fall, Gwen Maisonneuve became concerned about conditions at the Hay River dog pound.

That concern eventually led to the creation of the Hay River Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Gwen Maisonneuve, president of the Hay River Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, has a pet cat named Hello Kitty. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

And Maisonneuve is the group's president.

"I used to work across the street from what they call the dog pound," she says, explaining she could see the animals outside in the cold weather.

Maisonneuve recalls she was so upset with the conditions she wanted to bring all of the animals home.

"I was the first one who started complaining about it," she says. "It just sort of snowballed from there."

Although she is now president, she says it is not really her personality to get so involved in an issue.

"I'm the one who tells someone else about it, and waits for them to do something."

Since people have begun to express concern about the dog pound, the Town of Hay River has added some shelters for the animals.

Maisonneuve says she is happy to see the improvements and would like to see more, and she hopes the concern about the animals will continue among the public.

"I'm actually quite surprised it's gone this far to a Hay River SPCA," she says.

In some communities, there may be initial interest in an SPCA, but the interest never lasts for any length of time, she says.

However, the Hay River SPCA, which officially formed in June, has between 25-30 members and volunteers.

Maisonneuve, who works as a personal banking assistant with CIBC, predicts the Hay River SPCA will get many more members, noting a lot of people don't even know the group exists.

Asked how many people may eventually join, she responds, "Hundreds, hopefully. Anyone who has a pet should be a member of the SPCA." Maisonneuve, 38, says she has owned pets all her life, and she and her daughter now have a toy poodle, cat and fish. She grew up on a farm in the Peace Country of Alberta, and has lived on and off in Hay River for 16 years.