An influx of 18 puppies at the NWT SPCA on March 8 led to 14 of them quickly being adopted by Sunday, according to Stephen Flanagan, the local organization’s president.
Three to four of the young animals were snatched up within a hour of arriving.
“Puppies is usually less of a issue,” said Flanagan, who was thankful to all those who adopted. “They are relatively easy to find homes for — they’re not like the older dog that had come in and had never stayed in a home before, or they have behaviour issues. People love puppies.”
A lot of the pups, which can only be sent to new homes once they reach the age of eight weeks, came from the communities through the spay/neuter program. That program sees pregnant dogs sent to the NWT SPCA to give birth, then the mother is spayed before sending her back to the community. The SPCA keeps the puppies and finds homes for them.
Flanagan said the SPCA’s primary goal is to have animals spayed and neutered, though that’s a never-ending battle.
The organization has faced challenges due to a lack of helping hands, although a couple of people were recently hired, Flanagan noted.