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animals

How the SPCA approves dog rescue groups

VERNON - There’s a wide range of standards among rescue groups across the province, and while animals are directly involved, that doesn’t mean the SPCA has a hand in how they operate.  Aspects of dog rescuing such as fostering and adoption procedures, holding periods, and vet-checks simply aren’t something the SPCA has a mechanism to...

The free-for-all of ‘dog rescuing’ and why so much falls through the cracks

“IT’S LIKE THE WILD WEST” VERNON - The words ‘dog rescue’ may have a ring of nobility to them, but according to animal welfare advocates, many home-based operations aren’t what you think. Kim Faulkes, an Ottawa-based animal advocate, says there are no standards in place to ensure so-called ‘dog rescues’ operate ethically. “It’s a free-for-all....

Why this Vernon dog rescue wasn’t the saving grace it claimed to be

"I THINK SHE IS A DOG FLIPPER AND NOT SOMEBODY WHO REALLY CARES ABOUT DOGS" VERNON - After 16 years working in animal welfare, Patricia Zerr was never asked to steal a dog — until the winter of 2014 after she got involved with a Vernon-based dog rescue. She remembers driving to a home on...

Rats don’t deserve to suffer horrible deaths: B.C. SPCA

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - As the topic of rats and how to deal with their rising numbers becomes a more common conversation in the Thompson-Okanagan, the SPCA is reminding the public even pests deserve to be treated humanely. Sara Dubois, the chief scientific officer for the B.C. SPCA, says many rat extermination practices are inhumane and potentially...

Power back on at CrocTalk animal rescue… for now

KELOWNA – You might say he’s caught between a hot rock and a hard place. Doug Illman is the owner and operator of CrocTalk Conservation and Rescue, a reptile rehabilitation and education centre in Southeast Kelowna. With more than 50 animals including adult crocodiles, exotic cats, fish and birds, the centre functions as both a...

HELSTON: Don’t be afraid to call the conservation officer

Residents across the Interior contacted the conservation service over the past year to report wildlife encounters ranging from simple sightings to bizarre and in some cases, tragic extremes. There was a cougar found inside a Vernon home chewing on a squeaky toy, a pack of wolves that killed a woman’s dog in Merritt, aggressive coyotes...

Extraordinary animal tales of the North Okanagan

VERNON - Have you ever seen a hen raise a flock of ducklings? A dog adopt a piglet? What about a horse herding a bear? The North Okanagan has it all in terms of extraordinary animal encounters. There was Coldstream resident Val Buchanan, also known as Farmer Val, and the story that hatched when she...

Pet rescues underway in Smith Creek fire zone

WEST KELOWNA - An animal rescue team is doing everything possible to ensure no pet is left behind while a forest fire rages in West Kelowna. The Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team (CDART) has recovered over 60 animals from the evacuation zone near Smith Creek, including 16 horses, 21 cats and 21 dogs. Spokesperson Petra...

IN PHOTOS: Baby farm animals that will make you go ‘awww’

KELOWNA - As the weather warms up new crops appear and baby animals take their first, uncertain steps. Here are a few photos of baby animals starting their lives at some of the many farms around Kelowna.  Send your best seasonal photos to news@infonews.ca. %%Embed1%% To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw...

Never leave a pet inside a hot car: SPCA

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The weather is getting hot, and drivers are rolling down their windows, feeling the breeze in their hair as they drive along. But don’t forget, your pets also need to feel the wind in their fur, or at least a cool breeze. Every year, pets are killed from the heat in hot cars. The...

Wondering where the wildlife is? WildSafeBC has you covered

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - It’s spring and that means there are lots of wild baby animals roaming around, but hopefully not in backyards and towns. In the Thompson-Okanagan, black bears are the most common wildlife spotted. There have been a total of 42 black bear sightings in the last two weeks; three in Kamloops, eight in Naramata,...