Canada opens arms to small shelter dogs

Operation California Canine Cuties facilitates adoptions.

By MARC BENJAMIN
The Fresno Bee

Pebbles and Cabo, two stray Chihuahuas with no future in the Valley, are getting a new leash on life -- in Canada.

They are among a group of San Joaquin Valley strays destined for the Edmonton Humane Society and eventual adoption by Canadians who want small dogs.

Fresno's Central California Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has occasionally sent strays to Canada. But a formal agreement with a Canadian shelter to routinely ship stray dogs to new homes north of the border is a Valley first, said Beth Caffrey, the Central California SPCA volunteer coordinator. The local SPCA is talking with other Valley and Canadian shelters about expanding the arrangement, she said.

Some shelters around the country, especially along the U.S.-Canadian border, have shipped dogs north to collaborating shelters in Canada, said Kim Intino, director of animal sheltering issues with the Humane Society of the United States. Programs like Fresno's are "becoming more and more common," Intino said.

The Valley strays are moving thanks to the efforts of a Canadian woman who wanted a small dog and found a bounty of unwanted pets in Fresno.

Lori Oshanek wanted a small dog after her two large dogs passed away. After seeking dogs in the Edmonton area, her province (Alberta) and all of Canada, she turned to the United States.

"The same way you are amazed we don't have small dogs here (in Canada), we are amazed that you do," Oshanek said.

She tried working with about 20 shelters, but none of them wanted to send their animals to her.

Then she came across a Fresno shelter dog on petfinders.com, a Web site that links dogs and cats with prospective owners. She called the local SPCA to ask about sending her dogs.

"They said, 'how many dogs do you want?"' Oshanek said.

Soon, she was transporting two or three small dogs at a time from Fresno to Edmonton and quickly adopting them out to friends and acquaintances.

Then the Edmonton Humane Society heard her talk about the effort on a radio show.

"They thought maybe they could help," Oshanek said.

Edmonton Humane Society has dubbed the program Operation California Canine Cuties and started a fund to pay for transportation and medical bills, including spaying or neutering.

When the first six Fresno dogs became available about two weeks ago, a woman who had been waiting four hours before the shelter opened claimed one, said Shawna Randolph, an Edmonton Humane Society spokeswoman. All six dogs were adopted the first day they became available.

By early December, Oshanek said, she and the Edmonton shelter expect to have flown 30 Valley dogs to Canada.

Nine more dogs will be ready for adoption soon, Randolph said. More importantly, she said, the Canine Cuties program has brought more attention to the Edmonton shelter and the number of dogs adopted has increased.

"All of the talk about this program is reminding people to come to us first when they are looking at animals," Randolph said.