Fort Chip dog cull prompts howls from animal rescue groups

A controversial plan to destroy untethereddogs at a two northern Alberta reserves is drawing protests from animal rescue groups.

"Nobody wants to see dogs dyingunnecessarily," said RachelGlube, with Rescue For Life, a groupin Spruce Grove, Alta.

The MikisewCree First Nation in northeast Alberta posted an ad on their website looking forsomebody who wouldcapture and destroy an estimated 40 dogs running free on the Allison Bay and Doghead reserves in the Fort Chipewyan area.

It warned that all dogs that weren't tied up by Friday would be captured and killed with the dogcatchergetting paid $100per dog.

"There have been too many complaints about owners of dogs not taking the necessary responsibility in caring for their dogs and therefore Council has decided that in an effort to curb this problem and avoid any accidents that all dogs will be captured and destroyed as of Friday, February 14th, 2014," the ad reads.

The adhas since been removed from the website.

No furtherdetails about the cullwere offeredand calls to the first nation were not returned.

The FortMcMurraySPCA is offering to work with the community to remove the dogs.

"We want to reach out to some community leaders ... to see if they would be open to our support and participation in finding a long-term, sustainable solution that would address their concerns without the culling of healthy dogs," executive director Terra Clarke said in a news release.

The RCMP is also trying to help.

"We're coming together next week to look at everything to find out where we can work together and how we can solvethis problem," said Const.DaleBendfeld.

"From the municipality we're looking at tags and, if it's a matter of equipment, from chains to tie them up or collarsthat is also being looked at."

Bendfeld saidhe wants to meet with the Mikisew Cree next week to discuss other ideas like a long-term spay-and-neuter plan.