A couple of stories that have come to my attention recently have got me thinking about the need for an animal shelter in Vanderhoof.
The first was a letter to the editor a couple of weeks ago stating that this town needs a no-kill animal shelter. The second was last weeks Community Builder story in the Omineca Express about resident Detlef Schilling and his recent bike ride up Hawaiian volcano Mauna Kea for the cause of his late dog Griffon and to raise awareness about animal abuse.
And then something happened to me that made me even more compelled to emphasize the need for such a shelter …
I myself am an animal lover – in particular I love dogs and have a young Labrador called Barty. A couple of weeks ago I noticed Barty had a new friend. A gorgeous female dog which looks like a cross between a malamute, a German shepherd and a husky. Anyway I assumed she had a home since she looked in good condition. Since then however she has started sleeping under the porch of the house at night and lying by the back door during the day so I am pretty certain now that she is a stray. I have started feeding her now and letting her in the laundry room to sleep at night.
I was worried about calling the dog-catcher at first because I had heard that the district takes all strays to the vet and if they can’t find the animal a good home within a number of days, the animal is put down. However I was soon informed that although this is technically the case, no animal has yet been put down.
While this is great news I still think Vanderhoof really needs a no-kill animal shelter. In Fort St. James I hear they have a fantastic one. If you live in town that is willing to pay for a dog-catcher then the town should also have a shelter for these animals to be given a temporary home for how ever long it takes to find them a loving owner.
In the case of my stray (Juno) she is staying with me and my house mates temporarily while we find her a good home with someone we know.
