GUELPH – The Guelph Humane Society (GHS) was involved recently in its first-ever cross-border animal transfer, taking in six dogs from Texas.
On Aug. 15, 84 dogs flew from Texas to Windsor, on a private plane coordinated and funded by the generous Bissell Pet Foundation.
Two GHS team members drove down to Windsor to bring six of those dogs back to Guelph.
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Our friends at the Windsor/Essex County Humane Society have been part of rescue missions before, but this was their largest,” says executive director Adrienne McBride.
“In our old building, we were never able to help out and take in animals from other regions because we didn’t have the space to quarantine them. But at our new home at 190 Hanlon Creek Blvd, we specifically built dog – and cat – quarantine rooms so that we have the ability to bring in animals from other parts of Canada and the world that need assistance, and safely quarantine them before they can be adopted out into our community.”
The six dogs include:
- Willow – female Chihuahua;
- Amarillo – male Chihuahua;
- Star – female Blue Heeler;
- Laredo – male Pug;
- Dallas – male Shar Pei; and
- Austin – female Shepherd.
All six dogs are currently nearing the end of their two-week quarantine, ensuring that they are healthy and not carrying any illness or disease that could enter the community or pass on to other animals in the care of GHS.
The dogs will then start the adoption process as early as next week.
Originally from El Paso Animal Services, the dogs were given another health check by a veterinarian once they arrived at GHS, and they all appear to be in good health.
The majority of dogs come into El Paso municipal shelters as strays, and the state of Texas has been overwhelmed with dogs since shelters started reopening their doors to the public earlier this summer.
GHS is rehoming six of the 84 dogs brought to Windsor from Texas.
Sonia Maiorano, RVT, and Lindsey Bigg of the GHS Animal Care team, made the drive to Windsor to pick up the dogs, and they say they were changed by the experience.
“It was a very eye opening, emotional journey for us,” says Maiorano. “Not just because we work for GHS, but as a Registered Veterinary Technician, and Lindsey is a second year vet tech student – to see the overall health of the dogs and to be part of something way bigger than us. I will never forget this for the rest of my life.”
Maiorano and Bigg took photos and videos of their journey, which can be viewed on the humane society website.
Once the six dogs from Texas are ready for adoption, they will be added to the GHS Available Animals page: https://guelphhumane.ca/adopt/available-animals/.
