11 golden retrievers have arrived from Turkey ahead of Canada's upcoming dog ban
With the deadline looming for a ban on commercial dogs from abroad, a Canadian rescue group has just welcomed a group of 11 golden retrievers.
Golden Rescue, a single-breed non-profit rescue groups with operations across the country, has been working to bring in golden retrievers from various countries before the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) ban takes effect on September 28. According to the government, dogs from countries at high-risk for dog rabies “will no longer be permitted entry into Canada.”
The organization tweeted that the dogs arrived in Vancouver from Istanbul, Turkey on Thursday, August 11 with more expected to fly in to Vancouver and Toronto.
We welcomed 11 Goldens in Vancouver last night, arriving from Istanbul, Turkey. @globalnews was there! Click on the link to check out the story: https://t.co/o1SDxYyc3V
Please let your voice be heard by writing your MP and/or signing the petition: https://t.co/r0kw606nJF
— Golden Rescue (@GoldenRescue) August 12, 2022
Viive Tamm, co-chair of Golden Rescue, said that they’re planning to bring in over 100 golden retrievers in the next month.
She said that despite what the dogs have experienced, they still come out of their crates to meet their new families with “tails wagging.”
Golden retrievers meet their new families at Vancouver International Airport on August 11/Golden Rescue
“It’s always so emotional,” said Tamm in a phone interview with Daily Hive. “Most of the families are always at the airport to greet their new fur babies. There’s almost not a dry eye. As a matter of fact, even the cargo guys offloading the crates are standing there with tears in their eyes.”
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The controversial policy comes in an effort to protect dogs and humans from rabies typically found in wildlife. When dogs imported in 2021 were found to have rabies, the CFIA decided to take action.
“Rabies is over 99% fatal for humans and dogs once they start to show symptoms and is nearly 100% preventable with proper vaccination of animals,” reads the statement. “The importation of even 1 rabid dog could result in transmission to humans, pets, and wildlife. If a person is exposed, they need to undergo serious medical treatment.”
Jaxon from Istanbul and Tilley from Egypt are just some of the organization’s recent rescues/Golden Rescue
The policy will ban dogs from over 100 countries including the Philippines and China, as well as war-torn countries like Ukraine and Afghanistan.
Tamm said that they’re angry that rescue organizations weren’t consulted on the new policy.
“[The ban is] cruel,” she said. “They chose World Rabies Day to start the ban. If the danger was so imminent, why did they put it so far out? You’d stop it now.”
Tamm pointed out that in the last 10 years, only two dogs have entered Canada with rabies and rescue organizations do more than the government requirements to “keep everyone safe.”
“To stop good rescue groups from doing fantastic work is really a punch in the gut because the goldens over there are destined to die and suffer,” said Tamm. “Don’t punish us.”
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