One True Hero

One Woman’s Quest to Change the Face of Northern Manitoba

By Jenelle Petrinchuk
Published in The Winnipeg Humane Society News, Winter 2011

It's a hot and humid afternoon in Northern Manitoba. A never-ending stretch of highway absorbs the sun, looking dry and unwelcoming. Off to the side, curled up in a dusty ditch with its head buried in the shadows of the tall grass, is a dog. Not much more than simply skin and bones, with fur as ragged as an old dirty washcloth, and a face that has been through a lifetime of horrors.

A recent mama, with no puppies in sight, the dog shudders as a couple of ravens fly overhead. Too weak to move, too broken to care, she closes her eyes, and hopes.

Thousands of dogs live a life of lonely, starved, hardship across Northern Canada. The abundant amount of intact dogs roaming the land is producing an uncontrollable amount of puppies in a region that has limited access to veterinary care and almost no community funding for dog population management.

The only light these dogs have is the people who truly understand the problem. The people who take them in, nurture them, and protect them. The heroes of their world. Bonnie Meadows is one such hero. Owner and operator of Precious Pets Kennels in The Pas, MB, she hardly thinks of herself in a heroic way, but naturally feels the urge to save who she can, in any way that she can manage.

Bonnie knows the answer lies in spaying and neutering as many dogs as possible. Reducing the amount of unwanted puppies, and the amount of puppies who will grow up to reproduce again, is the only answer. It started with a jar on the counter of her business - a simple glass jar that collected loose change to help pay for as many surgeries as possible.

That jar has since been filled and emptied enough to produce over $8,000 and over 50 pet spay and neuter surgeries. In two years, Bonnie has helped 52 dogs and 7 cats begin the life that domestic pets were always meant to have; a life in a safe and happy home with a family who loves them dearly.

In that, Bonnie has also helped 59 families feel more complete than they ever have before. She makes it easy for them to become the responsible pet owners we all need to be.

To help things along, Bonnie throws the money she is paid for a pet's nail trim into the jar, or will hold a 50/50 draw to try and add to the amount collected. A simple “Pet Pics with Santa” event last December helped add $700 to her special fund. She doesn't have to hold extravagant events or canvass her neighbourhood for donations. She just cares enough to understand what help is needed and spreads the word to whoever she can. She has even partnered with The Winnipeg Humane Society where she is able to have her 'Bonnie-funded' pets spayed or neutered at a subsidized rate.

Whenever possible, The Winnipeg Humane Society will keep the dogs that Bonnie has sent in for surgery and help them in their search for a forever home. When times are tough and the shelter is full, Bonnie always welcomes them back with open arms. She then sets out to contact anyone she can think of that may be able to help re-home the dog or cat she has rescued. She always finds the perfect match for each one of the lucky pets.

It takes effort, and Bonnie admits it can be overwhelming at times, but she has never turned back from her venture and doesn't think she ever will. She knows that if more people catch on to this idea, it will spread and give life to the thousands of dogs who need it.

It is true that one person cannot save every dog in Northern Canada, but one person can save one dog, or two...or 46 like Bonnie has. If everyone took the time to do what they could, no matter where they live, together this problem could be solved.

The dog that was curled up in that ditch on that hot summer's day only needed one person to rescue her and give her the life she deserved. It just so happens that this particular dog was indeed one of the 'lucky ones'. After being spotted in the ditch by two caring people, she was taken to Precious Pets Kennels where she was introduced to Bonnie. At that moment she was transformed from a Northern dog with only a few breaths of life left, to Freeda, Bonnie's best friend and inspiration. Freeda is the driving force behind Bonnie's efforts to rescue as many dogs and cats as possible. Let Freeda's story become your inspiration too, because rescuing one dog is all it takes to save thousands.

Lending a Hand: Our Travelling Spay and Neuter Clinic

In an effort to help as many animals and communities as possible, The Winnipeg Humane Society regularly visits remote, Northern communities that don't have easy access to veterinary care.

While we are strong advocates for spaying and neutering in order to reduce unwanted and stray pets, we understand that not every community has the resources necessary to provide this service on an on-going basis. When animal populations become too large to manage, both the people and animals suffer; strays scrounge for food and scramble for warmth during the winter, while people become hesitant to walk the streets due to the overwhelming number of loose dogs.

Twice a year, a Winnipeg Humane Society veterinarian and registered animal health technician travel to Churchill, MB to hold a Spay and Neuter Clinic. This team also travels to other remote communities when requested. Over the past decade, we have been very lucky to work with many remarkable people from these communities who take on the responsibility of coordinating the event before we arrive. We require a space to use (usually a community centre or hockey arena), a volunteer to help us and, at times, certain medical equipment that would be too expensive to transport ourselves. Appointments are made in advance so that we can get right to work when we arrive.

Our team can perform 15-20 surgeries a day, along with vaccinations, depending on the need in the community. We generally make our services available to everyone who needs us and our veterinarian will treat any health problems that a pet is experiencing while we're there. We also work closely with dog teams or “Mushers” and provide check-ups and treatments to ensure the dogs are healthy and feeling good.

A typical trip will last for about 4-5 days but the end result lasts much longer. Every dog that is spayed or neutered means there will be several fewer stray or homeless animals in the future. Everyone deserves a chance to practice responsible pet ownership and the more we are able to help, the more animals we will all be able to save.