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Safer communities

Sask. dog rescue group says communities, not RCMP, responsible for stray dogs

Nov 3, 2026 | 1:14 PM

A northwest Saskatchewan dog rescue founder is calling on communities to establish and enforce dog control policies following an attack that critically injured a young woman in Pelican Narrows.

Amanda Harder, with Northern Transitional Dog Rescue, said communities need plans for managing stray and aggressive dogs.

Her comments come as Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) seeks a review of complaints made before Monday’s attack, including how RCMP responded and whether earlier intervention could have prevented further attacks.

“It is up to every northern community and every community that deals with stray dogs to have a plan in place, to have bylaws in place, to enforce the bylaws and to have a policy on aggressive dogs and females in heat,” Harder said.

Northern Transitional Dog Rescue is an Indigenous dog rescue based in the Meadow Lake area that specializes in removing aggressive dogs from communities.

“We’re not suggesting every community should be doing dog culls but if there is no support from outside rescues, SPCA, spay and neuter clinics or someone who is effectively handling the dog, then sometimes the best thing to do is euthanize dogs that are not safe to our community members,” Harder said.

Harder added there is a misconception that every dog can be rehabilitated and safely placed in a foster home.

“We’ve heard stories of dogs going right from northern communities into foster homes and kids being attacked or their pets being killed.”

Representatives from another rescue group said plans to remove dogs from Pelican Narrows were already in place before Monday’s attack.

A representative, who said the group would speak further with paNOW after the dogs are removed, said safety concerns had prompted a request for an RCMP escort. The representative cited recent violence in the community as the reason for that request.

Harder, meanwhile, said she planned to contact Pelican Narrows to ask whether further support was needed. She encouraged communities to visit saverezdogs.com for information about establishing dog management programs.

In Monday’s press release, PBCN requested a formal review to establish what complaints police received before the attack, what action was taken and whether there were opportunities to intervene.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell