The puppies flown into Peterborough Airport from a remote northern Ontario community a few weeks ago will be available for adoption beginning next week.
Adoptions will be on a first-come first-served basis on Monday, October 31st through the Peterborough Humane Society (385 Lansdowne Street East, Peterborough, 705-745-7676) and on Wednesday, November 2nd at the Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes (111 McLaughlin Rd, Lindsay, 705-878-4618). Viewings at the Peterborough Humane Society begin at 10 a.m. on Monday.
On October 7th, a North Star Air plane carrying 58 dogs from the community of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (Big Trout Lake), located about 500 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, arrived at the Peterborough Airport.
North Star Air has taken a key leadership role in the north to help address the pet overpopulation issue in remote fly-in only communities. Committed to playing an active role in making a positive difference within First Nation communities, the Thunder Bay-based airline partnered with the Ontario SPCA’s Provincial Animal Transfer Team and Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug to assist with the transfer.
“It takes many partners to successfully transfer so many dogs, particularly when we’re working with remote northern Ontario communities,” says Andrew Fraser, Executive Director of the Peterborough Humane Society. “North Star Air’s support as our airline carrier was key and gave these puppies a second chance by giving them a temporary set of wings to find their forever homes.”
The Provincial Animal Transfer Team was established by the Ontario SPCA and is made up of volunteers and organizations from all across Ontario, working to help move animals across the province to shelters where they can find new homes.
After North Star Air’s yellow and black Basler BT-67 plane landed on the tarmac at the Peterborough Airport, the dogs were unloaded and brought into a hangar where they were triaged by a team of volunteers, including veterinarians and veterinary technicians.
Once cleared for further transport, the dogs were brought to the Peterborough Humane Society, the North Bay & District Humane Society, the Welland & District Humane Society, the Sarnia & District Humane Society, the Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes and the Quinte Humane Society to be placed into their adoption programs.
“One of our goals at North Star Air is helping the communities and people in the north,” says Mary-Ellen Thomas, Commercial, PR, Sales & Marketing of North Star Air Ltd. “There are many of our partner communities where the pet overpopulation presents a real problem. The Basler BT -7 is one of the perfect fits for this program as it has the room for the dogs to safely be transported out of the communities.”
