I have been travelling a fair bit over the last several weeks, and was very upset to hear on the radio recently that the shelter was “closing.”
I went on their website and saw the notice saying, “Due to lack of funding, the shelter can’t accept any more animals until further notice”.
Living in the Yukon for over 20 years, and being on the board of a number of non-profit societies over those years, I appreciate the time and effort involved in volunteering on any board; it is usually a thankless unpaid job, and it’s easy to get burnt out.
There are only so many hours in a day. Paperwork doesn’t always get done and filed in a timely fashion, and things get missed. I believe there are many societies registered in the Yukon, and I highly doubt that the humane society is the only one not in good standing with the government.
I am not going to get into a boxing match with people over this issue, but I will say that I have paid for and participated in numerous clinics and workshops throughout the years, from both dog trainers and horse trainers. Not every clinician will use methods that I like, agree with or even fully understand, and I know that not every method taught will work in every instance for my dog or my horse.
If I choose to take a workshop or clinic with someone, it is my responsibility as an animal owner to take whatever new information or new techniques that are presented and decide if they will work on my own animals. I do not take any one clinician’s word as gospel - there is always more than one method to achieve a goal with your pet, some may be easier to learn and implement than others and some may be more or less effective with your animal.
It appears to me that people have forgotten that the shelter is there to shelter the unwanted, neglected, abandoned and sorrowfully surrendered animals. The animals that need food and shelter should be the focus - not on what appears to me to be a vendetta. The animals are being forgotten, and the number of people who have jumped on the bandwagon is appalling. If you want to make a change, get on the board and do so.
Otherwise, remember the animals in all this - donate food, toys, blankets, cleaning supplies, or adopt an animal.
Alison Zeidler
Whitehorse