MBiz

19 MBiz | november 2015 It was traumatic and she recalls pulling over to the side of the road with dogs in the vehicle and crying hysterically. But she knew she had to pull herself — and her program — together. She needed to shift her perception. Change came when she learned to stop looking at the dog problem and start looking to the community. She began to build relationships by asking people for their input. "We are there to help them be successful in their own community and ask them: What do you see is the problem and what do you think you would like to do?" The roots of the problem are poverty and violence, and the dogs are both a symptom and a result. The animals may be targets for violence, but they are also a danger to people. The key solution is to reduce the number of dogs, primarily through contraceptive implants, and to put supports in place for the community. "This is all about safety and health," Vandekerkhove says. "If they can control that dog population, then it's going to reduce the risk of injury to the dogs, and it's going to reduce the risk of injury and disease to the community." Educated in both criminology and business administration, Vandekerkhove — who owns a Curves gym — is well-equipped to deal with the complexities involved in running an animal rescue. She believes NHARN must be run like a business, with rigorous documentation and open-book accountability. Supplies are collected and distributed — doghouses, towels, food, first aid supplies, leashes and collars and kennels and more. And adoptable dogs are transported and fostered by volunteers in Winnipeg until they can be adopted or placed in a shelter. "What we do is coordinate the supplies that need to go up (north) and then we coordinate the animals that need to come down. It sounds really simple, but there are a lot of details." Forging relationships with residents, chiefs and band councils builds the foundation to provide services to dogs who are stray or "loosely owned." That includes micro-chipping, de-worming, feeding, vaccinations, contraceptive implants for females, medical attention and removal to veterinary care in Winnipeg when necessary. NHARN documentation shows that the dogs only have an average lifespan of 1.6 years, but as short as that is, many litters can be born to young females. Contraceptive implant clinics are held with an eye to education in the community. More than 90 dogs were seen at a July clinic, including injured strays who were triaged at the same time. Right now, NHARN's greatest needs are for help with fundraising and for business partners who can actually take over a project or coordinate fundraising to meet targeted needs such as the contraceptive program, a cheap, effective, non-violent method of reducing numbers. "Our approach is working really well, but we are continually running out of funds and we are at 370 animals that we've helped just this year in eight communities," Vandekerkhove says. NHARN has received help from Polar Industries, Play-All Awards, GHY International, The Preferred Perch and others. In addition to funds, businesses can donate goods or provide services — assisting with meals for volunteers, for example. Visit Norway House Animal Rescue Network's Facebook page or email norwayhouseanimalrescue@gmail.com to find out how you or your business can help. ■ shannon Thomas fosters dogs for the rescue network. her older dog, Champ, was also a NharN rescue dog, but he now has a permanent home with Thomas. Photos by Darcy Finley

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