Alfred is a rambunctious, friendly dog. He gets along well with other animals and is fitting in well at his new home. Had Alfred stayed in Moosonee, Ont., where he was rescued from, his life would likely not have been the same.

Moosonee is located north of Cochrane, on the Moose River. In the past five years Moosonee Puppy Rescue’s Sharron Purdy has rescued 500 dogs from Moosonee, Moose Factory, Fort Albany, Kashechewan and Attawapiskat, all found in the James Bay region.

Because there is not regular access to veterinary services in the isolated communities, over-breeding of dogs is common. To control the population Purdy said there are dog culls, with rewards offered for returning the tail of a killed dog.

A fundraiser June 14 at Tottenham’s Harry and Rupert’s Dog Hotel will help continue rescue efforts in the northern Ontario communities. It will raise the money needed to treat puppies for parasites, mange, Parvo virus, open wounds and broken limbs when they are found by rescue workers. The silent auction fundraiser is by invite only and is bringing together families across southern Ontario who adopted rescue puppies.

Chantal Piquette operates Harry and Rupert’s Dog Hotel, on the 5th Line, with her husband. They are also Alfred’s owners.

“You would have thought he lived here forever,” said Piquette. “He adjusted right away.”

For Purdy, seeing Alfred living a good life gives reason for her work.

Moosonee Puppy Rescue was formed after she and her husband retired. Much of her retirement has now been spent picking up dogs and finding them suitable homes.

Fostering Toby, a rescue dog from Moosonee, in her Bracebridge home was the start for Purdy. She didn’t know where Toby was from when she took him in, but later asked the Muskoka Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA), who Purdy was fostering the dog for.

She was told it came from Moosonee and that the branch frequently received puppies from a teacher working up north who was bringing dogs out.

Purdy got in contact with the teacher and was in disbelief with what she heard about the dog culls.

“I needed to make sure and know first hand what the situation was,” said Purdy.

There are no roads leading to Moosonee. It’s only accessible by plane or train. A boat takes visitors across the Moose River to Moose Factory in warmer weather or by snowmobile in the winter. To get to the communities further north, planes are the only way in.

After her three-day stay in Moosonee, Purdy knew she had to do something.

“Dogs were obviously considered disposable and they had little value. They certainly weren’t looked at as creatures with a soul,” she said.

Purdy understands the original premise behind the culls was for population control.

“You have to accept that whether you like it or not,” she said. “That’s not a problem anymore, there’s spay and neuter programs and we take the dogs out.”

The World Society for Protection of Animals has been working on controlling the dog population in the James Bay region, however efforts are focused on the Quebec side, not in Ontario.

“A lot of the problems of the dog over-population in communities is a result of the lack of access to programs,” said Josey Kitson, WSPA Northern Dogs project manager.

To Kitson’s knowledge, since the WSPA started work in Quebec in 1999 the dog culls have stopped. She also said the problem is one being mirrored across Canada.

Last year the WSPA held a Northern Dogs conference. The meeting looked at ways to build relationships between First Nation communities, the animal welfare sector, veterinary sector and the provincial and federal government.

From work the WSPA is doing, along with its partners such as the International Fund for Animal Welfare, progress is being made.

Kitson said a resolution on dog management has been drafted for the Assembly of First Nations. If accepted it would set a policy for communities across Canada to use.

Before it can be read into the assembly it must get the support of two First Nations chiefs. The earliest it will get a first reading in the AFN is December.

Until a national strategy can be developed, efforts to humanely control the dog population in northern Ontario continue.

OSPCA spokesperson Kristin Williams said they respond to cruelty cases across the province when reported. However, the OSPCA doesn’t have a branch on the James Bay coast. The closest branch is the Timmins and District Humane Society,  with sites in Temiskaming, North Bay and Sudbury as well.

The OSPCA has held emergency spay and neuter clinics in the region, but Williams doesn’t remember when the last clinic was.

Purdy is also continuing her efforts and is waiting for to meet with Moose Factory’s deputy chief to further develop a strategy.

For information on the  fundraiser or to donate to Moosonee Puppy Rescue call Purdy at 705-764-1478, Piquette at 416-624-8426, or visit www.moosoneepuppyrescue.com.