When Debbie Reynolds had a stray dog wander onto her rural property near Daysland last year, she quickly discovered that there were few affordable options for rehoming stray dogs in the Flagstaff region.

“I called all shelters within three hours of me, for days, and the only response from other shelters I received was that I was not in their area, and that I would have to pay a $500 surrender fee for them to take the animal off my hands.”

Reynolds says she talked to other Flagstaff residents who had experienced similar issues, and it started her thinking about starting up a shelter in the area.

“I started a post on a Flagstaff Facebook page, and received over 100 responses, all agreeing that this is a much-needed service for our area.”

She says she also consulted bylaw officers and checked if Camrose had any places for dogs, quickly finding out that there were only cat shelters there.

For Reynolds, starting a rescue seemed like the right thing to do. She has two dogs herself, and is well used to being around dogs, partially due to the fact that her father raised championship Black Labrador Retrievers.

Reynold’s father Jock MacLean raised and trained Ebonstar Lean Mac, prolific medal winner at American field trials, and number one in the 1992 Canadian top 10 junior dogs.

Reynolds says, “I have the perfect spot here, I have a 30 x 50 building on my acreage that’s not currently being used and has lots of room.

“I also feel a need to give back to the community and get involved.”

Reynolds recently approached Flagstaff County municipalities for startup funding, which was not successful, but she says she has a number of fundraisers planned, and hopes to put her background in marketing to good use going forward with her plans.

She started a Facebook page for the new group, called Canine Love Dog Rescue, initially to get feedback from the community, and now to keep the region’s residents up to date on her progress.

Reynolds wasn’t planning to start operations until the spring of 2021, but when she got a phone call asking for her help in rehoming some dogs recently, she found herself under the gun. “The first call was to take in five dogs; within days it was seven.”

The night before she was to pick up one of the dogs to be re-homed, there were two puppies born.

“For now, I have mom and the puppies in my spare bedroom.”

Read the REST OF THE STORY in this week’s edition of The Community Press on newsstands now, or buy the single issue online below:

Never miss an issue – become a subscriber today! Click here!

Studies prove, Community Newspapers are still the most effective medium for getting a message out there in towns and villages like ours across the prairies. Attract LOCAL customers by supporting LOCAL media.

ADVERTISE!

ads@thecommunitypress.com

Leslie Cholowsky,
Editor