Dogs being abandoned regularly all across the region

According to many local residents, the sight of dogs and packs of pups wandering along county roads is becoming a more common one with every passing week.

Several readers have recently contacted The Review with stories of stray dogs found on back roads in both Prescott-Russell and Argenteuil, with most noting the sightings are becoming are recurring thing.

Hawkesbury resident Sheila Elliott said that while returning home from Pointe-Fortune two weeks ago, she spotted three black puppies on the inter-provincial road between the town and the highway.

"These three little babies looked like they needed our attention," she recalled. "They didn't seem to know where they were or what they were doing there. They just looked up at us with a 'take me' look in their faces. I was afraid they would get hurt by oncoming cars, so I got my husband to stop and see what kind of trouble they were in."

The couple initially tried to call the police, though they couldn't connect with anyone as the reception was so poor. Next, they drove around the neighbourhood and knocked on a few doors, hoping to find a clue as to where these dogs belonged - to no avail.

"All this while, they were in the back seat with me," she said. "My heart swelled. I think I will remember these little puppy dogs for the rest of my life. They were exhausted, and I kept them covered and protected, all three of them with my hands as they slept. Amazing how a mother's hand can stretch out to reach and cover and protect her brood, I thought at that moment."

Elliott said she tried to drop off the puppies at a local kennel, followed by a veterinarian's office in Hawkesbury, though both informed her they could not take in the puppies. Finally, a woman she met was able to contact the Town of Hawkesbury's bylaw enforcement office, and an officer soon came by to bring the dogs to the town pound.

"The gentleman gave us his card, assured us that they were in good hands, they would be put up for adoption, that we had five days to keep in touch if anything unfolded in the meantime, all the while, telling us that he was not really allowed to take in dogs from other counties," she said.

The Review learned several days later that the dogs had been brought to the Champlain Township municipal office - as the two municipalities share the pound - and within one day, all three were adopted by local families.

Elliott said she was so relieved to hear the news that she "could hug the world, adding her story was "a good example of the problem of the cruelty, and of kindness, that is going on regularly."

According to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in the Laurentides-Labelle region, pet owners are often the source of the problem - unfortunately without knowing it.

The branch's executive director, Corinne Gonzalez, urges pet owners to act responsibly by neutering their animals, and to see them as members of the family rather than pieces of property that can be disposed of when they cease to be cute.

"Shelters are stuck at the end of the problem," she explained. "We need to start looking at people. They are not spaying and neutering. They abandon animals in the streets and buy new and expect us to look after all of the animals in no-kill shelters with small budgets. Even if we could find homes for one per cent more of the animals, it would mean a lot of animals' lives saved."

As reported earlier this month, her SPCA branch rescued more than 30 huskies from their former residence in Lachute, after they were found tied to five-foot ropes in the woods. They are now learning to eat regular meals, to be treated with kindness and respect, and to exercise regularly for the first time in many months.

"The dogs are shy and very timid, but they are very social, which is common with sled dogs. They require some TLC to get back in shape and some have already started to go for adoption," said Gonzalez, noting all except for one of the dogs appear to be in good health, though each is suffering from malnourishment and dehydration.

Out of a body mass index scale of one to five, most of the dogs register as one or two, meaning their frames are emaciated from hunger. This will be one of the first instances in which the SPCA will allow un-neutered dogs to be adopted, as the animals are physically unfit for surgery.

"We're happy to have the dogs here, regardless of the circumstances of their arrival, and it was coming one way or another," she said. "The owner of the dogs was waiting for either a seizure or release, because he couldn't afford to look after them all."

And while their rescue is a lucky one for the animals, it is adding a financial and human resources strain on the branch, which was already full with 24 dogs and more than 200 cats when the huskies arrived.

"We are a very small organization and every time you do a big rescue like this, it takes a lot of your resources. Our staff and everyone have been running almost ten days without a break," said Gonzalez, noting the office normally receives three or four dogs at a time.

Furthermore, the owner of the dogs, Daniel Charbonneau, is being investigated by the Quebec Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation (MAPAQ) for his involvement in the care of an additional 40 dogs, most of which resemble chow dogs.

According to Gonzalez, the dogs are also located in the Laurentians and their seizure would result in the addition of 40 more dogs at her SPCA.

To adopt an animal or make a donation, call 819-326-4059 or visit www.spcall.ca.

We asked on our Facebook page if this was a common experience for you, and here's what you replied:

S.V.: A lot of people abandon cats on some county road where nobody can see them.

S.K.: I will never understand how people are capable of doing something like that - it should be a law to have your pet spayed or neutered so that these poor animals don't end up with all these offspring that are just dumped as garbage.

L.S.: I work at the Township of South Glengarry in Lancaster and I receive calls all the time regarding lost/found dogs.

J.W.: It is very common where I live (Alfred Bog ), for people to abandon their dogs, cats and kittens.

J.L.: Lots of abandoned animals around East Hawkesbury too, it's stupid and cruel when you can take them to the SPCA or one of the dozens of rescues/shelters around, for free.

L.L.: Well I picked up one shepherd early this summer who was heading for Highway 17, but he was micro-chipped and we were able to send him back home (a neighbour had let him out of his yard) and just lately we had an abused Lab wander into our yard (no tags and a chain around his neck that was tied so tight it was cutting into his skin). That dog disappeared one night and I still don't know what happened to him.

C.G.: Since moving back to Hawkesbury a year ago I have had many run-ins with strays. It's a real problem with no shelter anywhere near us!