Embrace a Discarded Animal Society president Leslie Fee, pictured in this undated photo, is bringing 40 rescue dogs to Kelowna in May.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Embrace a Discarded Animal Society
March 28, 2019 - 2:45 PM
KELOWNA - Dog lovers will have their pick of the litter in May when a rescue dog group will bring 40 small dogs to Kelowna for adoption, but the manager of the B.C. SPCA branch in Kelowna says: buyer beware.
Embrace a Discarded Animal Society is a Canadian-registered charity with a dog rescue ranch in Blaine, WA, according to the group's president Leslie Fee. She will be bringing in 40 dogs, all under 30 pounds, in conjunction with PetSmart Charities of Canada from May 3 to 5.
“It’s a way for people to come in and see a dog, touch them and walk them,” Fee said. “It’s not like going on Adopt-a-Pet. A lot of times people see a picture and go ‘that’s the dog I want.’ It’s never the dog they end up picking.”
Her dogs are rescued from mostly U.S. shelters where they may face euthanization, or they may be from Taiwan or China where they may have been butchered for food.
Fee talked about the deplorable living conditions for dogs in places like California where owners don’t take care of them.
Her society rehabilitates the dogs before adopting them out and keep back any that are too unsociable, she said.
B.C. SPCA Kelowna branch manager Sean Hogan said therein lies the problem.
“There are some risks the public should be aware of when adopting dogs from a parking lot,” he said. “They should ask questions.”
He would be concerned about the dog’s health and socialization background or whether, for example, they come from a country with high rates of heartworm. And what does the new owner do if things don’t work out with the dog they adopt?
“From the SPCA’s perspective, we’re not going anywhere,” Hogan said.
On the other hand, he applauds such organizations for rescuing dogs that have nowhere else to go.
As for being competition for the B.C. SPCA, there is a little of that, but the local shelter can only house a maximum of eight dogs at a time and usually those are larger dogs.
“By doing this, you may be actually saving dogs from overpopulated areas,” Fee said. “You may also be helping Canadians get rid of backyard breeders and puppy mills. Rescue is becoming more and more popular."
But don’t expect to walk away with the first dog you see at the Embrace a Discarded Animal Society event. There is a five-page application to fill out and your home may be inspected.
“We’re very, very picky,” Fee said.
This will be her third such event in Kelowna. Last May, she 42 dogs were adopted and another 26 in June.
The dogs will be at PetSmart in Kelowna on May 3 and 4 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and May 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
You can find out more about Embrace a Discarded Animal Society or to apply to adopt on their website here.
They are also looking for volunteers to help with caring for the dogs at the event. You can volunteer by filling out an application form here.
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