Local dog rescue awarded new wheels

WINNIPEG

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/11/2023 (1015 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Every dog has its day.

A local name was recently recognized continent-wide, when Manitoba Underdogs Rescue brought home a shiny new vehicle — a 2024 all-terrain Land Rover Defender — and accompanying cash prize in the Defender Service Awards on Nov. 13.

The Defender Service Awards annually honour charitable organizations from across Canada and the U.S., judging them for their local impact in a variety of causes from community support to outdoor education, among other things.

Manitoba Underdogs Rescue — a volunteer-powered, not-for-profit specializing in the rescue, foster care and re-homing of dogs in vulnerable situations — was nominated by Land Rover Canada and won the award in the category of animal, wildlife and marine welfare. It went up against organizations hailing from Texas, Kansas City, and more.

“Being recognized on this kind of scale is something none of us ever imagined,” said Jessica Hansen, executive director at MUR. “Manitoba is a very tight-knit community, and for us to get on the radar in North America in front of (these) other organizations and sponsors, it’s just been incredible and a little overwhelming.”

Hansen said 2023 has been one of the most high-need and difficult years MUR has seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last month, the Underdogs team has had to house and — as a result — turn away more dogs than ever. Owing to the influx of pets adopted over the COVID-19 lockdowns, now mixed with the current increase in the cost of living in Manitoba, resources are low and the waiting list for adopting families is at an all-time high.

“I know that some of our partner shelters and rescues are struggling with the exact same thing,” Hansen continued, adding that this is a problem across the country. “Much of our resources were limited already, and now it just seems like they’re even more limited, so it has been a struggle.”

Monthly vet bills for MUR can sometimes reach almost $30,000, she said.

The prize money from the service award — $32,500 US — will go towards improving specific rescue services so MUR can operate on an even wider scale in the province, Hansen said.

The new Defender vehicle will be “absolutely instrumental” to MUR, Hansen said, as a large majority of its dogs are from remote communities in northern Manitoba.

“We are responding no matter the weather, no matter the type of day,” Hansen said. “And to have a vehicle that can deal with those northern roads … (they) won’t slow us down when we’re responding to a call that, oftentimes, is a matter of life and death for an animal. It also brings comfort to their families; knowing that we’re able to respond and get there in time to try to help.”

There are a lot of steps that go into the rescue of just one dog: phone call intake, transportation, volunteer co-ordination, supplies such as food or a kennel, veterinary appointments, foster care, housing, inspection, and adoption.

Even with the added support, MUR is always seeking interested volunteers, foster homes, donations (funds or supplies), and people interested in adopting.

Hansen added that, until the end of the year, dogs aged five months or older available through MUR will have 50 per cent deducted from their adoption fees.

For more information, to donate/inquire, or to look at adoptable dogs, visit manitobaunderdogs.org