Public urged to help rescued dogs
By: Aldo Santin
Updated: June 23, 2008 at 04:50 PM CDT
Help is needed to care for about 70 puppies and dogs suffering from a list of ailments -- internal and external parasites, tumours the size of a fist and blindness.
VIDEO: Neglected dogs rescued (can be seen at link)
The neglected beagles and American cocker spaniels were rescued from a Woodlands breeder.
The group of dog-lovers now looking after these neglected beagles and American cocker spaniels is desperately seeking help to cope with their care.
"What we saw was just mind-numbing," Kim Kaufmann, a St. Norbert pet groomer who is co-ordinating the care and fostering of most of the animals, said.
Kaufmann said the dogs range in age from newborn puppies to 16 years.
Kaufmann enlisted the help of about 14 friends, all show dog owners from across the province, to rescue the dogs that were surrendered to the province following an inspection of the dog-breeding operation on Highway 6, just north of Warren.
Provincial veterinarian Wayne Lees refused to discuss the situation when contacted Sunday night, but the breeder confirmed that he voluntarily shut down his operation and turned the dogs over to the province after his facility had been inspected by provincial officials.
Ernie Boklaschuk said he had been breeding dogs for about 20 years but was unaware that the dogs were in such poor condition, adding he's been ill for the past two years and unable to properly care for the animals.
"I didn't notice anything like that," Boklaschuk said when told the dogs being cared for by Kaufmann and her friends had open sores and tumours and badly matted fur so hard that it couldn't be trimmed with clippers or scissors.
Morris resident Cheryl Crick said she had never seen dogs in such poor condition.
"When we trimmed some of the dogs we found barbed wire wrapped around their paws," Crick said. "It was appalling. I was sick to my stomach."
Corrinne Walker, of Warren, said she took home a beagle and five, three-week-old puppies and learned that one of the puppies had tapeworms that were 10 centimetres long.
Bill Macdonald, executive director of the Winnipeg Humane Society, said his agency agreed to help after being contacted by the provincial veterinarian's office.
Macdonald said the province doesn't have the facilities to look after animals, adding the humane society took in several puppies and other shelters in the city did as well.
Kaufmann said the province isn't providing her group with any financial assistance and that's straining the resources of her friends. "We were told that had the animals been seized, then there would have been money to provide for their care but because they were surrendered the province can't help us," she said.
Kaufmann said she and her friends first went to the Woodlands dog-breeding operation Thursday and brought back 15 beagles and American cocker spaniels to her grooming operation on Pembina Highway in St. Norbert, the Diamond Edge Grooming Salon. She and her friends bathed the dogs and then trimmed the cocker spaniels and determined which ones needed urgent care.
Kaufmann said they returned Sunday morning and took away 20 more cocker spaniels, adding about 20 more dogs remained at the site.
Kaufmann said all the dogs need to be examined by a vet and some need urgent care. She said her friends are fostering the animals, taking them home and acclimatizing them but added they need to find homes for the dogs.
"We're doing our best but we can't keep them," Kaufmann said. "We'd love to be able to give them away to a good home."
Want to help?
Here's what's needed:
Kennels, bedding, food.
People willing to foster or take in permanently beagles and American cocker spaniels.
Contact Diamond Edge Grooming Salon, St. Norbert, 255-4377
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/story/4190191p-4780895c.html