The NAME program works with community leaders, members, officials, and enforcement services to provide care for any companion animals who are looking for a second chance. They are then transported to the shelter where they receive medical care, behavioural assessment, and enrichment in order to prepare the animals to join our adoption program. In 2019, the FMSPCA introduced a new program to aid in overpopulation in communities that provides support to pet owners who are looking to keep their families as a whole. On a referral basis, the Mom’s Last Litter Program provides spay and neuter initiatives to rural communities. Female animals that are known to have multiple litters are brought in through the program with the litter so they can be properly weaned and spend the appropriate amount of time with their mom. Once weaned, the litter is vetted and placed up for adoption. Mom is spayed, vaccinated, dewormed, and microchipped and returned to the owner at no cost.

Mindy, a Labrador retriever who called Fort McMurray First Nation #468 home, was the first canine in the program. Mindy became the mother of an unplanned litter of six in June of 2019. Unable to care for all of them, Mindy’s owner asked the Fort McMurray SPCA for help. Although she didn’t want to be separated from Mindy, the owner surrendered the new mother along with all six nursing puppies, knowing that the pups would still need to rely on their mother’s care over the coming weeks. Upon entering the shelter, one of Mindy’s puppies, a male by the name of Bullet, was quickly diagnosed with parvovirus, a highly contagious and often deadly virus that causes extreme cases of bloody diarrhea and vomiting. Over the following weeks, Mindy and her pups received treatment, vaccines, deworming, and general care from the dedicated and loving staff of the FMSPCA. Having been weaned and slowly recovering from illness, the puppies were spayed or neutered and then adopted out to loving homes in the community. Mindy, after caring for her puppies as best as she could and watching them grow up, was spayed and returned to the loving care of her owner. Together, we gave Mindy the chance to live her best life with her family while ensuring that this was to be this mom’s last litter.

Thank you to our partners Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo for their continued support of the NAME Program