Three adorable puppies rescued from B.C.’s own backyard prove there are still many animals here that need loving homes, a Victoria animal rescue says.
The puppies, named Kristy, Summer and Chris, were rescued by an organization in Kitimat and have since been brought to the Victoria Humane Society.
The eight-week-old animals have been dubbed “Kitimat specials” because their breed type is unknown, says VHS executive director Penny Stone.
Dog abandonment is sadly a common occurrence in some remote B.C. towns and First Nations communities, she said.
“[Kitimat] is such a small community and there’s so many stray dogs in the remote communities up there,” she said. “They get so many puppies dropped off at their kennels and shelters and have no place to put them.”
Some First Nations communities the rescues work with are so overwhelmed by the influx of dogs they perform an annual cull, according to Stone.
It’s a brutal practice her society is desperate to end.
“What we’re trying to do is get agreements to work with them,” she said. “Give them the tools so we can stop having the cullings on the reserves.”
Many families take on litters of puppies at a time but find when the dogs get older, they’re too hard to handle – and the animals are abandoned.
“They’re cute when they’re little and then people get too many. Then they’re roaming the streets and can develop a pack dog mentality,” Stone said. “That causes problems in communities.”
VHS currently has 114 dogs in care, and all have been rescued from within the province.
Stone said it’s clear evidence that many dogs in B.C. are in need of forever homes, not just animals in U.S. states like California where many shelter dogs are put on "death row."
Many of the dogs in the society’s care will be featured in a pop-up adoption event next weekend at West Shore Mall in Langford.
But Stone says people can’t just show up and adopt right away, they'll have to fill out an application for approval first.
The society, which doesn’t have a centralized facility for its rescues, is also looking for foster homes for dogs including several that recently gave birth.
For more information, go to the Victoria Humane Society website.
