INUVIK
While the first hurdle of rescuing nearly 30 dogs in Inuvik has been cleared, there is still much work to be done.

Two more dogs were sent to Yellowknife from Inuvik last week, after having received basic vaccines and some care, to be socialized and eventually adopted to good homes. - photo courtesy of Sean Cairns

"It's a huge deal, but that's what we're here for," said Nicole Spencer, president of the NWTSPCA. "It's a huge strain on resources. We need help, we need resources, and we need volunteers to donate their time more than ever."

The Drum previously reported that 21 dogs were seized from an Inuvik residence July 15, including two which are just puppies. Bylaw officers returned July 21 and took away three more dogs. Five other dogs evaded capture.

Nine of the dogs have been sent south to the NWTSPCA in Yellowknife and to the SPCA in Red Deer for further treatment and hopefully their forever homes. But there are many issues to overcome before that can happen.

"We went in expecting eight to 12 dogs, and now we're at 29," said bylaw officer Sean Cairns, adding that many of the dogs were not healthy.

The two puppies, he said, had canine distemper, a highly contagious virus that presents with a high fever, eye inflammation, and eye and nose discharge, as well as laboured breathing and coughing, and vomiting, among other things.

It is usually fatal in puppies, and one has indeed died from it.

Another dog was found to have signs of canine distemper, as well as a large tumour on his abdomen. Another dog, which officials initially thought was pregnant, turned out to have a serious infection called pyometra.

Cairns said the infection in the dog's uterus - which was removed in an emergency surgery in Yellowknife - was likely the result of having had many litters with no veterinary care.

"We've vaccinated all the dogs we have in the pound, but them having distemper makes it hard to find places for them to go," he said. "The shelters to go to have to have the capacity to keep them quarantined."

Spencer said that while the Yellowknife facility does have that capacity, it is straining the organization's resources.

With six dogs from Inuvik there now, there is less room for dogs from the rest of the territory, as well as an increased need for volunteers and crates in which to ship dogs further south.

Beyond that, there are the vet costs.

"All six dogs are females, and they're all getting fixed," she said. "We get a discount, but that's $300 each. We haven't got the bill for the dog that needed surgery yet, but that was a serious procedure and will be pretty expensive."

That dog, now named Clover, she said, was not doing well despite the surgery and would perhaps need to go back to the vet for IV fluids and medication.

The cost of transporting them south, however, is at least mostly taken care of. A partnership between the municipality and Canadian North has allowed the town to operate a no-kill pound for three and a half years, Cairns said. The airline provides three to four free flights for dogs per month, and has worked with Cairns to get more dogs out for a discounted price as a result of this incident.

Still, the costs for the care and treatment of nearly 30 dogs is mounting, and the town and shelters are looking for help from the community to ensure it can continue. Cairns said they are accepting donations at town hall until Aug. 19.

As to preventing this kind of thing happening in the future, Cairns said there is a new option.

A year and a half ago, the town prosecuted Horst Podzadny for having too many dogs on his property, but was ultimately unsuccessful because the judge found ownership of the dogs could not be established.

Now, he said, the court order obtained to seize the dogs in this most recent action doesn't have an end date, so there will be regular check-ups.

While animal cruelty is against federal law, Sgt. Scott Young of the Inuvik RCMP said in an e-mail they are not pursuing any charges and that it is a matter for municipal bylaw.

"Now we're just hoping that removing the dogs will be more effective than court action," said Cairns.

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