At a time when shelters are facing an unprecedented number of pet surrenders, a Peterborough-based grassroots organization is helping to find rescue placements for animals potentially facing euthanasia.
No Paw Left Behind does exactly as its name suggests: ensures no pet is left forgotten and abandoned. The charity acts as a “buffer” to help animals when a shelter runs out of space for them, putting them at risk of being euthanized, and finds them a new home at a rescue.
“The shelters that have municipal animal control contracts have to take in strays, and at some point they become full and have to do something to make a little space,” says Sabine McConnell, the founder and board chair of No Paw Left Behind. “These are not dangerous animals or animals at the end of their lifetime. These are just some that have been dealt really bad cards and need a little bit of extra help that the shelters cannot provide.”
After volunteering for some years with a similar organization called Pound Paws, McConnell founded No Paw Left Behind in 2019 and registered it as a charity in 2020.
“I wanted to foster animals, but I am horribly allergic to dogs so I had to be a little careful,” she says. “This was a nice outlet for me to contribute something without actually having another dog in my house. I’m a huge animal lover so when I found (Pound Paws) that was, to me, a really intriguing approach, because it was a bit different as a facilitator between the rescues and shelters. That was a really unique twist and that was very appealing to me.”
Many of the animals supported at No Paw Left Behind come from shelters in Quebec as, according to McConnell, “resources are tighter” than they are in Ontario. Shelters don’t always have the time or access to rescues, so they contact No Paw Left Behind because it has a wider reach to rescues all over Canada — many of which are in Ontario and on the East Coast where there is often more space.
The charity also helps with any legislation that might be involved with moving animals across provincial boundaries, and enlists volunteer drivers’ groups to transport the animals to their new homes.
“These are animals that have no other option, and nobody else will help them — we really are the last resort,” McConnell says. “The shelters do not have the resources to help. They do what they can and it’s not their fault because they have other pressures that they’re facing — they have to take in strays, they have to make room. So, I’m so thankful for them for reaching out to us and allowing us to help.”
If they cannot find a rescue for the animal right away, No Paw Left Behind spends time learning about the animal, putting them into boarding (for dogs) or foster care (for cats), and providing veterinary care where needed to reduce the cost for taking in rescues.
“They all get their shots, and we do tests to make sure they don’t have heartworm or Lyme disease, and just to make sure there isn’t anything lurking in the background,” McConnell explains. “Sometimes the information we get from the shelter is really sparse because they’re just so busy, but we can get a little more information to help them find their rescue spot.”
No Paw Left Behind has committed to always having at least six dogs in boarding and currently have 10, with some waiting to find a rescue and others waiting on transportation to their new home. McConnell says that the organization’s work has been “steady” since last summer, with shelters seeing an influx in pet surrenders and fewer people looking to adopt — especially larger and older dogs.
“A lot of people got animals during COVID-19, but there can be all kinds of issues that come up with animals that have never been alone in all their lives, and then the owners have to go back to work,” she notes. “That adds pressure to the owners, of course, and it’s sometimes hard to deal with those issues. Veterinarian care is harder to get with everything getting more expensive these days, so there’s lots of pressure on the owners which makes it more difficult to keep an animal.”
On Monday (May 27), the charity launched an online silent auction in support of the animals currently under their care, with proceeds going towards upcoming boarding bills for several animals, as well as a few costly surgeries.
The wide selection of goods available through the auction includes a basket with dog-themed items, a cat blanket, a handmade bag, original artworks, and more, all donated by generous supporters. Online bidding is available via the Facebook event page until 9 a.m. on Friday (May 31).
“We’re so grateful for the donors,” McConnell says. “They’re alongside us on that journey to see the animals progressing, too. It just such a wonderful community that comes together to help.”
The charity recently celebrated a success story with the one-year adoption anniversary of Phoenix, the only pet they have helped to get adopted.
“We pulled him from a shelter when he was almost euthanized,” McConnell says, noting he was older and had health issues. “He’s the typical dog we help — the ones that would never get adopted at the shelter because they have a whole bunch of little issues going on and need veterinary care and tests the shelter cannot do. So we took him into our care, fixed him up, and then he got adopted.”
With the team of volunteers, and those who donate, the work done at No Paw Left Behind is, for McConnell, “the best feeling ever.”
“To see how we can all pull together to save these lives is amazing,” she says. “This really is a collaborative approach. Nobody can do this alone and I’m so thankful that we found that little missing piece that we could contribute, but we would not be able to do this without the support and collaboration of everyone else.”
Visit nopawleftbehind.ca to learn more about the charity and to get involved or follow No Paw Left Behind on Facebook.
To participate in the fundraising auction in support of No Paw Left Behind before it ends at 9 a.m. on May 31, visit the Facebook event page to review auction items and to place your bids.
