Toronto rescue drives to Manitoba to donate food, brings back 16 dogs displaced by fires

Two dogs are transported to Toronto from Winnipeg after being rescued. (MUTTS Dog Rescue)

TORONTO — Sixteen dogs displaced in Manitoba due to raging wildfires were transported to Toronto earlier this month and the rescue says it is hoping to make another trip in September.

Wildfires in northeastern Manitoba have forced residents in multiple remote Indigenous communities to evacuate, leaving their homes and, in some instances, their pets behind.

Over the past month, members of the Manitoba Animal Alliance have been flying into the communities to find those lost pets, many who were sick or injured. In total, more than 600 pets have been rescued. The group treats the animals, reunites them with their owners, and in the case of strays, finds a place at a rescue.

In Toronto, MUTTS Dog Rescue watched the situation unfold carefully, knowing how much work it would take not only to find the dogs, but also to feed and care for them.

On Aug. 1, volunteers gathered more than 100 bags of food and drove 22 hours to Manitoba.

“We just thought we'd step in and help them,” Ni Chen, co-founder and director at MUTTS Dog Rescue, told CTV News Toronto on Thursday. “At least give them a little bit of relief in being able to help the animals.

“So then, while we're there, obviously we brought back dogs to be placed in various rescue organizations in and around Toronto, so that they have space for to bring in more dogs and we have lots of homes who want to adopt these dogs.”

Two days later, the volunteers were on their way back to Toronto.

Chen said are about 100 dogs being cared for by the Manitoba Animal Alliance currently.

Overall, the 16 dogs that came to Toronto were in decent shape, Chen added.

“A lot of the times we expect dogs to have internal parasites mainly because there's a dire lack of health care for animals and humans in these remote areas,” she said. “So we're working on getting medication for that, and then there's a trio of puppies that we brought in … one of the puppies, tested positive for scabies, so sarcoptic mange. And so all of the puppies are being treated for that.”

“Then, your general fleas and ticks. That usually is found on dogs when they come in.”

MUTTS launched a GoFundMe page at the end of July to help raise funds for the trip, as well as to help pay for veterinary services for the animals. All of the money is being used to get the dogs healthy, Chen said.

In September, the rescue is planning a second trip to Manitoba. They say they hope to bring about the same number of dogs back with them.

“I think now, from what I’ve read, the dogs coming in a little bit rougher because, again, the communities have been evacuated and the fires are really closing in on them, so the dogs that are currently coming into Winnipeg are a little worse for wear.”

Melanie Chudyk, the clinic coordinator for the Manitoba Animal Alliance, told CTV News Winnipeg that she has travelled to twice to Pauingassi First Nation, a community rather close to the wildfires, and said the smoke was so thick it was hard to breathe.

We have to make some really tough calls,” Chudyk said at the time.

“We have to say, ‘this one’s healthy enough to stay for another few days,’ but it’s difficult. It’s really difficult to make that decision, because we’ve had animals in crates ready to be loaded into helicopters and we’ve had to let them go because we just don’t have space for them.”

Chen said that MUTTS is always looking for foster homes, adding that two more dogs are being transported from Winnipeg to Toronto by plane next week.

“If anybody is flying from Winnipeg to Toronto, they can reach out to us to be flight parents. We just put kennels under their flight ticket. There's no cost to them.”