MOOSONEE - With a growing stray and abandoned dog population, Moosonee’s animal control program has recently undergone significant changes.
The town’s new animal control officer, Adrianna Biancucci, has been working to rebuild the program since taking on the role in late 2023. It officially started up about a week ago.
Biancucci, originally from Guelph, moved to Moosonee about three years ago with her wife, who was born and raised in the remote Northern community.
With a background in veterinary care, Biancucci said she’s always been passionate about animals. When she saw the job posting, she jumped at the opportunity, but what she found was shocking.
“They showed me the building that I was supposed to be working out of. It was full of black mold all down the walls, the crates. There was no running water. There was no proper heat,” Biancucci told TimminsToday.
“And right then and there, I told the town, 'This is not happening. You give me a proper building that meets the minimum standards, and we'll go from there.’”
It took over a year, but Moosonee’s animal control program now has a new facility.
The building, a converted sea can, has five dog runs, four with doggy doors, and space for basic care. A fenced-in exercise area is planned for the spring.
While the facility is still not as large as Biancucci originally hoped for, she said it’s a major step forward.
Since moving to the Far North, she’s seen the number of stray and abandoned dogs on the rise.
“I've already had people reach out to me, and I have 19 puppies that are going to be needing homes, and I've only been doing this for less than a week,” she said.
One of the biggest barriers to addressing the problem is the lack of veterinary services, Biancucci.
A round trip from Moosonee to Cochrane on Ontario Northland’s Polar Bear Express passenger train costs over $117. Bringing a personal vehicle adds approximately $390 to the total cost.
“It’s very, very expensive,” Biancucci said.
Without affordable vet care, many residents cannot afford to spay or neuter their pets, leading to continuous cycles of unwanted litters.
Biancucci has reached out to the Ontario Veterinary College to explore bringing mobile vet services to Moosonee, similar to programs available in some First Nations communities in southern Ontario. However, she said funding remains a challenge.
The situation in Moosonee is vastly different from what Biancucci experienced in southern Ontario.
“In the Guelph, Kitchener, Cambridge area, there are humane societies that take in dogs. You never hear about a pack of dogs running down the road, scaring children to the point where they don’t want to go to school,” she said.
“Up here, you walk out your door and you have to look both ways — not for cars like in the city, but for dogs.”
The cold climate makes the problem even more dire, she said.
“There have been times where you hear about a frozen puppy stuck to the ground,” Biancucci said.
“Some of our nights get to -40. Even in summer, you see dogs overheating.”
Currently, Moosonee’s animal control program functions only as a pound. There is no dedicated rescue or rehoming effort beyond what she and a few passionate individuals can organize.
Her long-term goal is to establish a nonprofit organization for the Moose River region.
“If I were to be a nonprofit, maybe there’d be more chances to get healthcare up here for the animals,” she said.
Moosonee’s animal control currently does not have partnerships with any rescues, as many in the south are already at capacity, Biancucci said. As a result, it is currently seeking foster families to help house dogs until permanent homes can be found.
A few local families have expressed interest in fostering, but financial concerns pose a challenge.
“They asked, ‘Is the town going to provide medical care? Are they going to provide food?’ I can’t see the town doing that,” Biancucci said.
Biancucci is working with the town’s CAO and council members to establish guidelines for fostering.
In the meantime, Moosonee Animal Control has called for volunteers and donations.
“We definitely would love volunteers,” she said.
“Donations — anything that they could provide — ties, collars, leashes. So many families are low-income and can’t afford the basics.”
For those who want to support Moosonee’s animal control efforts, donations can be mailed to the town’s office.
Those interested in fostering can contact Moosonee Animal Control through its Facebook page here.