Manitoba Dog Rescue

Dogs. For many these furry friends are more than friends, they’re family. They would go to the ends of the earth for their K9’s! This statement holds true, for Karren and Caitlin MacIntosh of McAdam, New Brunswick.

          Karren and Caitlin left their home in New Brunswick in 2018 with their two dogs, Dudley and Scout, to pursue teaching careers in Shamattawa, Manitoba, where they found life there to be very different from our own. They faced many obstacles, such as a constant boil order, meaning the tap water wasn’t safe to drink, dangerously low temperatures leading to frozen pipes, and a community-wide problem with arson.

“I actually had to be flown out to a hospital because I just brushed my teeth with the water,” Caitlin stated. “I had gotten an infection just from the mere touch of the water in my mouth. It’s unfortunate there are people that still have to live like that in somewhere like Canada.”

They were shocked and dismayed at the complete 180 from all they knew. Students would come to class casually mentioning finding a dead body on the way. Parents faced addiction problems, affecting their children as well. Warehouses were set on fire for amusement, destroying valuable resources such as lumber. A housing and job crisis faced the community at all times, and perhaps the most heartbreaking part is the stray dog epidemic they faced.

Karren says, “A student once told me he found a dead body in the ditch on his way to school. I was like ‘oh my god,’ you know, like ‘do you need to talk about it?’ and he just shrugged and said ‘no, it happens all the time.’”

Because there were so many strays, the dogs instinctively formed packs and became a threat to the people. To solve the problem, the community often had a “cull,” and went out and shot and killed many of the dogs. To us it sounds cruel and unusual, but Karren and Caitlin urge us to remember that our life and theirs are very different.

“It [a cull] is something that we’ve never seen here before and for most, probably, something we couldn’t even fathom doing. But for out there, it’s a sad reality they face because if something isn’t done then their elders and children are at risk and nobody else is coming to help.”

Karren and Caitlin decided they needed to do something. They took it upon themselves to start a mission- save as many dogs as possible. Although they understood why things were the way they were, they couldn’t sit back and watch it happen. So, they began capturing dogs, and using online platforms, such as FaceBook, they would find forever homes for them.

Karren and Caitlin became devoted to this newfound rescuer status and in the two-year duration they spent in Shamattawa, were able to save the lives of 50 strays, including two new additions to their own family. Luna and Honey, their newest adoptions, fit in immediately with their family and all was well, for now.

The wives faced a nightmare after Luna was struck by a car and needed major and expensive surgery. They started a GoFundMe to help with the expenses to save their precious pup and received more than $2000. They used the money to treat Luna’s injuries, and she is now better than ever!

Though they’ve returned back home to New Brunswick, the two girls still continue to help rescue dogs. They keep in close contact with their fellow rescuers and do what they can from home to ensure as many dogs as possible get to a new and loving home. This has been Milly Squires, for STU Journalism.