Dozens of stray dogs rescued from foster homes receive VIP pre-treatment – Winnipeg Free Press

About six purebred Maltese have gone from kennels to puppy heaven.

At the Winnipeg Humane Society on Thursday, 68 young, old and pregnant little white dogs were washed and treated to a spa day to look their best for adoption.

The big grooming event comes a day after Winnipeg Animal Services donned hazmat suits and rescued dogs from shockingly dirty conditions at a Richmond West home.

It was the largest animal seizure in Winnipeg's history.

According to Humane Society CEO Jessica Miller, the phone is “ringing off the hook” when people ask about adoption.

“For the community to get behind us every time something like this happens … I'm very grateful,” Miller said Thursday afternoon.

The shelter had to turn a classroom into a makeshift salon to bathe and care for the impounded dogs with the help of nine volunteer groomers from the city's PetSmart stores.

The humane society is calling for volunteers to help with the laundry that needs to be done. Baskets of blankets and towels were lined up outside the exam room, and the donation area in the lobby was overflowing with dog food and toys.

Officers from the Winnipeg Police Service found a mange and a stray dog ​​during a welfare check at a home on Brentlawn Boulevard on Tuesday night.

“Layers” of urine and feces inside forced police officers to cover their noses when they entered the house, said a nearby resident who witnessed the attack. Free press.

The neighbor did not know that the owner of the house kept so many dogs.

“I'm sure these dogs never saw the light of day,” he said Thursday.

The puppies are the product of inbreeding, and at least three of the adult females are pregnant, Miller said.

But all 68 are expected to make it out of the shelter safely and be adopted, she said, and while some are grumpy, they all seem to be in good spirits.

“When we have animals that are shut down from these seizures, it's very difficult to rehome,” he said. “It's amazing how these guys barely interact with people or even go out.”

WPS representative Cst. Claude Chancey said the owner will not face any criminal charges, but could be fined under the city's Responsible Pet Ownership Act.

Miller believed the situation was the result of someone “getting in over their heads.”

“Unfortunately, some people do not know the importance of sterilization,” he said. “We should have known about this earlier, we could have worked with this person.”

According to him, the owner was very distressed and may have hidden the animals.

The law limits residents to a total of six dogs and cats over six months of age, with no more than four dogs.

“If people call for help when they are already in dire straits, we will work with them. We don't want to take money from people, we want to help people,” he said.

Animal Services Manager Leland Gordon said he expects the owner to be fined.

Andrew Clark, director of investigations for the Humane Society of Manitoba, which works under the Animal Care Act, said the investigation did not meet the threshold for referral to the province for charges, but that did not diminish the seriousness of the case.

“It's important,” he said. “It would be significant in any major Canadian city.”

As of Thursday afternoon, the humane society had raised more than $79,000 for rescue care, surpassing its $75,000 goal in 24 hours.

Total animal care is expected to cost more than $150,000.

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Nicole Buffy
Multimedia producer

Nicole Buffy is a multimedia producer reporting to the Free Press city office.

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