We headed into 2020 just like the many years before it. The various departments in the rescue met and made goals for the year, planned initiatives and events to take place, and looked for new and improved ways to help our canine companions in need. And then all of that went to the wayside, as it did for so many others.
2020 was a year full to the brim with new challenges and changes. We had to figure out how we could continue with our mission despite a worldwide pandemic, while ensuring the safety of our fosters, volunteers, and communities. We were grateful that our work and organization was considered an essential service, and although parts of our operations had to cease or be greatly modified, we were able to have one of our most successful years to date.
Here are just a few highlights from 2020:
• 309 dogs came into our care for medical/behavioural help to ultimately be placed up for adoption
• 122 dogs were transported and networked to partner shelters/rescues to balance our resources
• 282 dogs successfully found their forever homes
• 231 dogs were spayed/neutered (despite a few months of these surgeries being cancelled)
• $210,000 was spent on veterinary bills with a monthly average of $17,400
One of the toughest and most heartbreaking challenges we faced was the inability to work together and in-person with the First Nations communities in the province. Our hearts have always laid with them and providing advocacy or education, vaccination or spay/neuter clinics, providing dog food due to supply shortages, helping owners with ill or injured animal’s access affordable veterinary care, and assisting with dog population control and by-laws. To ensure that these communities stayed protected our community outreach missions were few and far between, often limited to emergency trips or calls for immediate help. We have greatly missed seeing the families and their dogs that we’ve grown to know and love over the years. We cannot wait until the time comes where we can begin working with them again.
Everyone has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic one way or another, either personally or someone that we know and care for. We have all been affected in various ways and different degrees physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially. Despite this, our strong community of supporters, donors, volunteers and fosters rose together as a community to continue to fight for the underdog in the safest ways that we could. Thank you all.
Thank you as well to our corporate partners: Animal Instincts Dog Training and Obedience, Brandidly Communications, Dakota Veterinary Hospital, Head to Tail Pet Rehabilitation, Pembina Veterinary Hospital, PetSmart Charities, Pliant Pack Positive Dog Training, Sightlines Photography – Wedding & Lifestyle Photography, Sunova Credit Union, Winnipeg Animal Emergency Hospital and Wooftopia Dog Training & Recreation Centre. Without these dedicated companies, we couldn’t accomplish everything we do.
We truly hope that 2021 holds the normalcy we are looking for – health, safety, and the eventual return to some sort of “normal”. We are anxious to be able to hit the ground running again, operating at full capacity and solving the problem that spurred the founding of our organization from day one: the province-wide dog overpopulation problem. Until this time, we continue to hope for the safety and health of our community.
Happy New Year,
Jessica Hansen & the Manitoba Underdogs Rescue Team