Animal shelters are full of animals that are just waiting for someone to take care of them and bring them to a place they can feel safe at and could call it home.
Doggy daycares across Winnipeg are filling up fast due to owners who don’t want to brave the elements and go for a walk but still want their furry friends to enjoy some physical activity. January, February, and March is pretty much the peak season for daycare and boarding.
The president of the Manitoba Veterinarians’ Association said on Thursday, January 17th that pet owners who do take their dogs outside in -30C temperatures need to be prepared.
“If it’s too cold outside for you, it’s probably too cold for your dog,” said Jonas Watson.
Animal Services introduced the Doggie Date program a few months ago and said they saw an immediate reaction from people who wanted to participate. The idea is so that people instead of adopting the dog right away, now they can take dogs and puppies for a week, weekend or even just one day, to kind of give that puppy a try. Now you can get a dog for a weekend, take care of it and enjoy your time around one, the kids can play with a dog in the backyard or take it out for a walk, you can see the reaction of a dog and the children, also how your other pet will react, like cats and other.
The program became so popular they are now reaching out to local shopping malls and asking them to take part by allowing Doggie Dates there. Animal Services chief operating officer, Leland Gordon said yesterday that Kildonan Place is already on board and they are going to reach out to other malls as well.
Gordon says each dog is equipped with a bright orange "adopt me" vest, which lets people know that the dogs are looking for permanent homes. He says since the program started a few months ago, they've had 10 dogs adopted through it.
He says there is a deposit to go on a Doggie Date, but it is refunded as soon as the dog is returned. The deposit is the equivalent of the adoption fee someone would pay for the dog if they were taking it home permanently.