Oxford House

I was going to blog about how next week I will be in Oxford House for the NWC. Instead I offer this story as a glimpse of where I will be. Nice doggy, Nice doggy...

"Police in Oxford House shoot, kill five loose dogs

Fri Nov 3 2006

By Bartley Kives
POLICE killed five stray dogs in Oxford House on Thursday after two children and an elder were surrounded and threatened by the feral animals.

Roving packs of aggressive dogs have become such a problem in the remote Cree community that RCMP issued a warning to residents that any dog found roaming the streets will be destroyed.

'If the animals are not on leashes or inside homes, they will be put down,' RCMP Staff Sgt. Steve Saunders said Thursday, after his colleagues in Oxford House destroyed five animals.

'They've had many issues with stray dogs being aggressive and threatening people. The public has been warned.'

Saunders said there are at least 40 stray dogs in Oxford House, which has experienced problems with the wild canines since the summer.

But there have been three recent incidents: An elder was surrounded by a pack of dogs and had to be saved by a group of children, a young girl of unspecified age was also surrounded, and on Thursday, an eight-year-old boy was prevented from approaching his home, Saunders said.
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As well, a pack of dogs also turned on one of its own and 'literally tore a 70-pound animal apart,' Saunders said.

Residents received warning letters from the RCMP to keep their pets on leashes or indoors on Wednesday. One resident called the Free Press to complain, claiming shooting strays is inhumane.

Saunders defended the practice, noting families on two other First Nations communities suffered the pain of fatal dog attacks this year.

In July, two dogs killed a two-year-old boy in Hollow Water First Nation, while a toddler was killed by a loose pet dog in Tadoule Lake in June.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca
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