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PAWS4THECAUSE

#GivingTuesday PAWS4THECAUSE: Manitoba

Our team has rescued 56 dogs, mainly puppies and pregnant Moms. Although proud of their success, our volunteers left the northern reserve with very heavy hearts. There are MANY more that need our help NOW. These dogs are in imminent danger. They may freeze or starve to death over the harsh winter. Our plea to you is an urgent one. With the weather we cannot possibly do another drive to Manitoba. But we can and will continue to work with our partner, Manitoba Animal Alliance (MAA) to save as many dogs as we possibly can. This will call for flights, flight volunteers and flying more dogs to safety in Ontario.

These extra flights and rescues will come at a considerable cost. It is only with your support that we can save these dogs from horrendous circumstances and certain death. Our #GivingTuesday campaign runs for a few more days. Will you help our Manitoba dogs by donating today? Every dollar counts! To help please visit https://niagaradogrescue.com/giving-tuesday.php

We would like to share some quotes from our amazing volunteers who did the heroic expedition to Manitoba. We are so incredibly grateful to Gwendolyn Leong, Angela Johnson, Kelly Jackson and Lori Miller Parker.

First from Kelly and Gwen, the first night with the dogs.

Kelly: It made my heart full to see all those dogs that slept so soundly that night...probably the best sleep and the warmest and safest they have ever felt!!

Gwen: I felt that we were in action rescuing and treating, caring for and providing warm bed and food ironically that night there was not a stir in the room and they slept peacefully. When we look at our makeshift kennel (photo attached) and walked up and down the aisles at 4am on Wednesday night, we couldn’t help but feel so honored and emotional to have been part of saving a room full of dogs and puppies. The adventures and the hardships we went through to get to that community was all worth it when we see the lives we saved today.

From all our volunteers with their thoughts once home.

Lori - It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I experienced an incredible range of emotions while on this journey. To the puppies / dogs, we promised unending love and care. So many happy tears that we could do what we did and be so successful.

Angela - So grateful to be included in this mission. We drove 35 hours to get to The Pas and 43 hours home. So a lot of time driving and stops on the way home to water and let pups out to relieve themselves. Very exhausting to say the least! What I learned on the reserve about the people and their dogs will stay with me forever. It highlighted the desperate need for affordable and accessible vet services. Every one of the dogs we transported back to Ontario will have a forever family that will love them and cherish their MB background. A trip I will tell my grandkids about....

Kelly- It was a very eye-opening experience to see how being in such a remote area with no access to affordable veterinary care and supplies affects the entire community. Low cost spay and neuter clinics are desperately needed to resolve the issue of overpopulation and to end the practice of culling to deal with this problem. It was extremely emotional to see the condition of these dogs and to understand the frustrations of the community in not having the ability to provide for their dogs given the lack of available services. I was very grateful to be a part of this mission and to be able to help the community and the dogs but also very sad that so many more needed our help that we were unable to assist. I am very hopeful that this is the start of a longstanding partnership that can continue to provide the much-needed support to these communities.

Gwen - It was an experience of a lifetime. I learned so much on this trip; about respect for others, partnerships with fellow animal activists, grit and resilience and flexibility while travelling and lastly, I learned that I not only loved dogs but I love advocating for them and taking them in if needed, or even just providing supplies to who we could. I learned that while humans and people are busy with politics, and doing/saying the right thing, dogs are so pure in their hearts, they only want love and to be provided necessities of life. All else is immaterial to them. So grateful that NDR decided to support this mission and grateful for this unique opportunity.