Puppies leap up on the crate at the La Loche Paw Protection Corporation last year. The village is expected to hold a dog surrender Saturday. (Submitted Photo/Amanda Black)

By meadowlakeNOW staff

Dog Cull

La Loche to hold animal surrender Saturday

Mar 7, 2025 | 5:03 PM

The Village of La Loche is preparing for what it calls an “Animal Surrender” on Saturday.

They are enacting by-law 2-99 the Running At Large of Dogs to deal with the ample strays roaming the neighbourhood.

According to a notice the village posted to its Facebook page, the priority will be stray dogs or dogs that sick or female.

According to a rescue worker who makes trips to La Loche often, they have called Eric Schmaltz, Minister responsible for First Nations, Métis and Northern Affairs and he is looking into it.

In a statement to paNOW, the volunteer said, “The people in La Loche are collecting these dogs in a compound and are going to shoot them. They were told to use a 22.”

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(Official notice/Village of La Loche)

“We have taken over 5,000 and this number is low – dogs out of that community and helped for years so they cannot say they don’t have help and support.”

According to the notice, the village will pay $10 per dog to those who are surrendered between 1 to 5 p.m., in an effort to deal with the population they say can be “vicious and pose an immediate threat” to the community. They will not pay for puppies.

The reaction to the notice was swift with most people calling it out as a cull.

Screenshot of video of a pack of dogs in the street. (Submitted)

The worker said there will be another rescue trip later this March but that by then it’ll be too late.

The village, meanwhile, will begin dog licensing on Monday.

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cjnb-news@pattisonmedia.com