Sudburians roll up sleeves, open hearts for rescue dogs

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Two Sudbury men delivering a big load of northern dogs to Lively got a crash course in bottle-feeding on the weekend. 

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Pet Save director Jill Pessot said Craig Fielding and Ernie Checkeris made a trip to Northwestern Ontario with the Bark Bus — a horse trailer repurposed for canine transport — to meet volunteers with Northern Critters in Need.

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“I put a last-minute request in to Craig for the Bark Bus and he and Ernie made a treacherous drive to Ignace to meet NCIN,” said Pessot in a Facebook post. “Just as they were finished loading, Craig called to say that there was a problem — there were seven orphans three days old.”

Pessot said they had a choice: either “leave them there and they would die,” or get up to speed real fast on how to nourish the newborns en route. 

Naturally the two chose to try bottle-feeding, and apparently did a great job, as the little ones arrived in good condition.

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“They had to feed the babies every couple hours and kept them in their laps to keep them warm while driving,” said Pessot. “In rescue, you never know your limits till you are faced with tough situations. These gentlemen did an extraordinary job for the 17.5-hour drive and all orphans arrived alive and well.”

More than 60 dogs, many of them pups, made the trip to Sudbury. 

Pessot said Pet Save is overstretched but couldn’t turn down the call for help.

“Northern Critters in Need called to say there was a community up north in dire need of assistance,” she said. “We are at capacity but understand that if we do not help in these situations, many animals suffer and die.”

Dozens of volunteers turned out in Lively on Sunday to assist with the transfer of animals from the Bark Bus to the shelter and to an overflow kennel in the Valley. 

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“I would like to thank all the people who answered our call to help,” said Pessot. “This was the largest crowd to date.”

The rescue organization is in the midst of relocating to its new shelter facility — formerly Wild at Heart — which added some complications to the intake.

“We had many challenges being in two separate buildings this time, and everyone was very patient and understanding,” said Pessot. “Thanks to Pam Flory for organizing this rescue up north and to all the animal lovers that came out to help our homeless friends.”

Several other rescues stepped up to offer assistance with the dogs, she said, and “many found foster homes for a few days till they head down south.”

Bev Heggart Lacastro, one of the many to pitch in, said there “had to be over 50 people” present to welcome the furry influx.

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“The bark bus was emptied in under an hour,” she said in a post. “First thing Dom and I did was transport the three-day-old orphans to the shelter to have a heating blanket put under them and get fed.”

Others lugged crates up the hill to the shelter, or walked them on leashes, and helped out with the bathing of puppies. 

“It takes a village,” she said. “Amazing to be a part of it.”

Pet Save put out a call for fosterers and as of Monday all of the dogs that remained in Sudbury had been placed in temporary homes, except for seven puppies and four adults that are being housed at the shelter.

sud.editorial@sunmedia.ca

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