Norway House Animal Rescue

Monetary Donation | Article by: Cindy Cherry

Now known as Manitoba Animal Alliance, this organization has done some cutting-edge research while working with primarily Northern First Nations Communities in Manitoba.

Five years ago, they started doing research on the average lifespan of Northern dogs in some communities.

 They did this by trialing a non-surgical contraception implant that is injected between the shoulder blades of a female dog to prevent pregnancy anywhere from 18 to 22 months. What they found was an average lifespan of 1.6 years.  The communities they work in lack veterinarian infrastructure, humane education programs, and little or no access to resources that are readily available for most of us Canadians.

The MAA works directly in alliance with First Nation and Inuit communities to exchange knowledge, resources, training, and direction with the focus on self-governance to improve the quality of life for the communities and the canine population. They have created dog management programs to advocate for strong stewardship, local training, and protection of animals.

In 2018, they rehomed 1,583 cats and dogs and fixed/implanted 400 pets and sent up over 100,000 lbs of pet food and supplies.

They are also tasked with providing emergency animal assistance, emergency aid, supplies and support during natural disasters in Northern Manitoba when communities are evacuated due to fires or flooding. Plus they routinely go to Northern Communities to train and mentor local volunteers for emergencies, and in clinics to help homeless and unwanted pets.