Doghouse deliveries to northern Manitoba on paws until February

A Manitoban group is preparing to gift shelters and other much-needed supplies to furry friends in need.

Earthdog goes to communities in northern Manitoba to help them with their large canine populations.

"On reserves, one of the biggest struggles is resources in general for people, let alone dogs," Alexandra Turchyn, the adoption and foster coordinator of Earthdog says. "We see starving dogs. We see freezing dogs. We are lucky if they have a house outside. It is pretty sad some stuff that you see."

Dogs in northern communities do not live inside the houses, living as outdoor dogs. The cold weather creates issues for the dogs if they do not have adequate shelter.

Turchyn says her dog, Drake, is the reason she began invested in helping other dogs. (Supplied)

"Not just adult dogs, but we have pregnant dogs that are having puppies that are born in -40 and are freezing. Having these insulated dog houses isn't just a necessity, it is saving lives."

Turchyn says it is a rarity for the animals to have a doghouse. Food and medical care are scarce, creating even more issues for the animals.

"It has definitely been eye-opening for me, just to see what the communities experience in general. Of course, up north, dogs are not the top priority that Indigenous Canadians experience, but it is an issue and an issue I happen to be passionate about." 

Earthdog visits communities throughout the year to provide food, medical procedures such as neutering, and handmade insulated shelters. Earthdog began after a team of women were volunteering with Winnipeg Animal Services and got more involved with the community, hearing of the needs.

"What we like to do, and have done for the past few years, is build insulated dog houses. We will bring them up and donate them to those in the community that have dogs, and we drive around and see if there are dogs in need."

Over 100 shelters were built in the previous year.

"Last year we had about 70 out to a property and we had a huge assembly line going of building and carpenters and painting and putting it all together."

The team of volunteers cannot gather this year, but shelters continue to be built.

(Supplied)

While they will not be able to provide as many shelters this winter, the team continues to have hope.

Turchyn says they are facing difficulties delivering animal supplies because of travel restrictions but are continuing to store supplies until a trip can be made. 

"Just based on restrictions, we are hoping to get out there in February again and do a big delivery."

If people are looking to have a winter project and build doghouses themselves, Turchyn says they can bring them up north on their next trip. She says they are also in need of dog food, and straw to insulate the doghouses.

Earthdog also has an initiative called Halo Houses where people can donate to have a house built in the name of a lost loved one or pet.