Groups working to address ongoing dog concerns on Îyârhe Nakoda First Nation

A vehicle drives through the village in the Stoney Nakoda First Nation in Mînî Thnî, Alta., Thursday, June 17, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

ÎYÂRHE NAKODA – Actions are being taken on the Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation to address ongoing concerns regarding stray, feral and wandering dogs.

Concerns have ranged from accidental abduction of animals being mistaken for strays to ownerless animals becoming potential threats to people, pets and livestock.

Allowing dogs to roam as outdoor animals is culturally historic in the region, as dogs were previously kept as guardians of livestock and campsites.

“I personally do not see that as an issue. I did that myself when I was a child. Our dog was never on leash. She would just roam,” said Hannah Mills, co-founder of the Sacred Sûga Society, an organization to support Îyârhe Nakoda residents and their pets.

“What I do notice is that there are a lot of people driving through who do not necessarily understand that concept. You have people stopping at the side of the highway because perhaps they are seeing dogs in a field … and they are luring animals into their vehicles, which is an issue.”

Work on establishing bylaws

Because many of the dogs that are picked up do not have identification, it becomes extremely difficult for them to be reunited with their owners.

No bylaws are currently in place on Îyârhe Nakoda territory, and dogs are allowed to move freely on reserve lands.

“We have developed an animal control bylaw. It has not been reviewed by chiefs, nor tribal council, but it has been drafted and it is on the list of things for them to review in the new year,” said Reg Fountain, director of emergency management with Stoney Tribal Administration.

Fountain did not go into specifics, as the document has not yet been reviewed by chief and council; however, he said it does deal with issues revolving around feral animals and wild packs. The bylaw draft also makes a recommendation regarding domestic animal identification.

Additionally, there is no compulsory dog registration program established within Îyârhe Nakoda First Nation.

John Slater, the Stoney Tribal Administration’s manager of protective services, did not provide an exact number of calls related to stray and feral dogs that have been received this year.

Town halls have previously been held with organizations such as Stoney Nakoda Health Services, child and family services, and Cochrane SPCA, among others, to assist Nation members in understanding a variety of options and scenarios for what could be done, how a solution could be reached, and what is in the realm of achievability.

Among the greatest concerns heard during town hall meetings were for the safety of children and elders, people walking at night and livestock.

“We have gone down the path of consultation with Nation members. We have taken that information and used it to aid in the development of a draft animal control bylaw,” said Fountain.

“We want to make sure that going forward, it meets not only the needs of persons in the community but also that it respects what and how the chiefs wish to impart this new direction to the nation members.”

As there is no legal requirement for animals to have identification or registration, Mills explained outsiders driving through mistake the dogs for strays and will occasionally take them to shelters.

Due to Canmore and Cochrane shelters often being full, dogs have in some instances been dropped off as far away as Invermere or Kamloops in British Columbia.

“We have had a woman have to drive to Salmon Arm to get her dog back because if people can’t find somewhere to leave this dog, then they are going to take it with them to wherever they’re going and then they are going to find something to do with it,” said Mills.

Difficulties for Nation members to reclaim their animals may arise if they do not have regular access to internet, phones, or vehicles in order to make such journeys for their animals.

Mills aims to raise awareness that many of the roaming dogs do have homes, and passersby should not take it upon themselves to collect the animal.

“(There) is a compounding problem of dogs that do have homes living out there that are not marked, and then dogs that do not have homes that have been dumped there that are also not marked, and trying to be the Good Samaritan to understand which one of these animals needs help is causing a large displacement of animals that are pets that are being loved and cared for that are living on the reserve,” she said.

Society aims to help dogs, residents

The Sacred Sûga Society has existed for more than a year following Mills’ discovery of a dog, which had been hit by a car. At the time, the dog she found had a rope collar on, suggesting it belonged on the Nation. Beyond that, there was no other identifier for her to reunite the dog with its owner.

Since then, she and others who have become part of the society have taken to bringing dog food to the local food bank for the roaming dogs around the Nation.

“If you do see an animal that is visibly injured, we do ask that you call the Stoney Nakoda security. We have posted signs throughout the Nation now so that people do have that phone number,” said Mills.

“If you are not able to get ahold of them for any reason, give a call to the Cochrane Humane Society. That is where we are trying to streamline all the dogs. It is a lot easier to reunite them with their owners that way when they are all going to the same place.”

Instead of introducing penalties for unregistered and unidentified animals, which could cause additional strain on people’s livelihoods, Mills said she believes the best way to move forward is to provide resources and education so more people can have access to it and know what to do when they see a roaming animal.

“When we do drives for collars or food, or the University of Calgary has come in and done spay and neuter programs, these programs are full. It is not like they are trying to find someone to get their dog fixed, people are actively seeking that, it is just a lack of resources and they are living quite rurally,” said Mills.

Concerns regarding dogs wearing collars are the potential for animals to become stuck on downed fencing throughout the Nation. One alternative solution is to have a dog tattooed with identification and use that as a basis for identification instead of a collar.

Another measure to aid dogs and their owners is the construction and donation of insulated doghouses to protect outdoor animals during winter months on the nation.

“We have a need for dog houses on the Nation. We have a lot of dogs and some people either can’t afford a doghouse, or they have one that is old and broken, or they have too many dogs for the doghouse they have,” said Pascal Richard, permit coordinator with Stoney Tribal Administration.

“A couple of years ago, I did the same thing with a construction company – Calbridge Homes – so I challenged them to build some dog houses for us and they did. This time, I challenged our newly formed carpentry team, it is part of G4 (Eco Tourism Cabin Builders program) … and they are building two sustainable homes, so I challenged these guys in their off time to build dog houses.”

Through this challenge, seven dog houses were constructed and distributed across Îyârhe Nakoda to Nation members in need.

Richard added his thanks to Windsor Plywood for donating the building materials which made construction of the dog houses possible.

“They are building some more right now. I do not know how many they will have the chance to build, but I am going to keep challenging them and I am going to keep asking different places like Windsor Plywood or Home Hardware. I like to challenge people,” he said.

“I would like to challenge the community … whoever would be interested in building an insulated dog house and wanting to donate it to the Nation. I could make a meet up with them with a pickup truck.”

Originally published on Jan. 16, 2025 by John Watson, Local Journalism Initiative, Rocky Mountain Outlook.

The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. The position covers Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation and Kananaskis Country.