Partnership will allow IHS to service more Nunavut communities
NUNATSIAQ NEWS
Max, a dog rescued in Iqaluit, is pictured as he is transported south earlier this month, to be put up for adoption. (PHOTO COURTESY OF IHS)
The Iqaluit Humane Society and First Air have begun a two-year partnership that will see the airline transport rescued dogs to and from Iqaluit.
The Iqaluit Humane Society is a volunteer-run organization that takes in abandoned and unwanted dogs in Iqaluit and other communities in Nunavut.
Its new sponsorship arrangement with First Air, which started Dec. 23, will allow the animal shelter to continue transporting dogs south to the SPCA of Western Quebec, its sponsor shelter in the South, where they are put up for adoption. The IHS will also be able to serve more remote communities in Nunavut where First Air flies.
“As a charitable organization running on limited space and funds, the Iqaluit Humane Society is always thinking and acting in the best interest of the animals as well as the people and communities we serve,” said IHS president Janelle Kennedy in a Dec. 23 release.
“We are looking forward to the future with our new partnerships with First Air and dreaming big.”
First Air takes over a sponsorship that Canadian North took part in for four years. That came to an end due to a schedule change under both airlines’ codeshare agreement.
“Without their amazing support, we could not have done our critical work and saved thousands of lives,” the IHS said of Canadian North’s support. “The caring staff and management worked with us and we thank them for their generosity and dedication.”
In addition to taking in abandoned animals, the IHS provides a no-kill shelter, emergency medical care, vaccinations and outreach to animals in Iqaluit.
Since the IHS formed, the organization says it has rescued 5,000 animals, including cats.
“We are looking forward to working with First Air and continuing our mission to enrich the lives of domestic animals and people through re-homing services, medical care and advocacy for the prevention of cruelty to animals in the territory of Nunavut,” the IHS said last week.
“We envision a territory where companion animals find permanent, compassionate homes, where communities are enriched by the special bond between people and animals, and where cruelty towards companion animals no longer exists.”