The issue of stray dogs in Northern Saskatchewan communities has long been an issue, but a spokesperson for a local dog rescue group says that local community leaders blaming the RCMP are pointing the finger in the wrong direction.In an interview with Prince Albert Now, Amanda Harder, from the Northern Transitional Dog Rescue, says that it shouldn't be the RCMP's job to manage the stray dog problem in Northern communities."It is not the RCMP’s job to manage the stray dog population. It is up to every Northern community and every community that deals with stray dogs to have a plan in place, to have bylaws in place, to enforce the bylaws and to have a policy on aggressive dogs and females in heat," Harder said about the stray dog problem.Her comments come after a stray dog attack that critically injured a young woman in Pelican Narrows, Sask.In response to the attack, local RCMP transported the woman to hospital and "put down" the three dogs involved in the attack.The woman was described as having incurred injuries that would be classified as "life-threatening."In response to this attack, the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, the local First Nations band, is now seeking a review into the incident, specifically into how the RCMP responded and if they could've taken preemptive actions regarding the stray dog population..Harder says that it should be on the community members to take preventative action regarding aggressive and dangerous dogs and that although she isn't suggesting "dog culls," sometimes euthanization is the safest option for the community."We’re not suggesting every community should be doing dog culls but if there is no support from outside rescues, SPCA, spay and neuter clinics or someone who is effectively handling the dog, then sometimes the best thing to do is euthanize dogs that are not safe to our community members."She also noted that there are misconceptions surrounding the argument of rehabilitation and that some dogs are simply unable to be safely rehabilitated and placed in foster homes."We’ve heard stories of dogs going right from northern communities into foster homes and kids being attacked or their pets being killed.”Harder reportedly encouraged communities affected by stray dogs to visit saverezdogs.com, an indigenous-led movement that states its goal is to "support First Nations in building their own dog management plans."The RCMP, in their statement regarding the dog attack, encouraged members of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation to "not let their dogs run free.""A dog may not be aggressive when alone, but its behaviour may change when it’s in a pack. To avoid this, ensure your dogs are tied up or kept inside a fenced area.”
