To call Brent Arstall “a dog person” is an understatement.
“Dogs are awesome. Everyone who knows me knows I like dogs more than people,” Arstall said, laughing.
Arstall and his wife, Violet Arstall, have been rescuing dogs for more than 30 years through their organization, We All Need A Rescue (WANAR).
The rescue has saved thousands of abused and neglected dogs in Saskatchewan.
The organization has also donated more than 300,000 pounds of dog food to communities in northern Saskatchewan.
WANAR’s mission is to rehabilitate dogs, and eventually pair them up with families.
If a dog is unable to be placed, because of any lasting emotional or physical damage, the dog stays at WANAR’s sanctuary.
That was the case for Jax, a mastiff that’s been with WANAR for ten years.
“He came from a really bad torture situation. When he came to us, he hated humans. It took a while, but he’s learned to love us,” Arstall said, while petting Jax.
Arstall said dogs have always been drawn to him, even as a young boy. He credits where he is today to his first family dog — an abused poodle named Mickey, who ended up being his best friend.
“He kind of showed me how to love a dog, even if a dog doesn’t really like people. We worked together and he helped me. He guided me through to who I am today,” Arstall said.
