Manitoba should regulate and inspect animal shelters, rescue operator says

The Manitoba government should set up a body to regulate and inspect animal rescue shelters, and the general public should do a little research before donating their hard-earned dollars to a rescue.

That's the opinion of D'Arcy Johnston, who runs Winnipeg's D'Arcy's Animal Rescue Center (A.R.C.).

Johnston was reacting to news that Manitoba's chief veterinary office has removed a dead puppy and rescued several more adult dogs from a Valley Gardens-area home on Tuesday.

• Dead puppy removed from Winnipeg home

CBC News has confirmed that the home in question belongs to a director of a dog rescue group, and the dogs were in its care. According to the rescue group's website, it is a non-profit organization that accepts cash and other donations. It is not listed as a charity by Revenue Canada.

"I feel so sorry for those animals," Johnston said.

A central problem, Johnston said, is that in Manitoba it takes "absolutely nothing" to set up and call oneself an animal rescue agency. To be a legitimate one, there's a lot of paperwork and red tape, he added.

D'Arcy's A.R.C., for example, is a registered charity with the Canada Revenue Agency and has been inspected in the past by the province.

"We are transparent, we are accountable to every donor dollar and every animal that comes into our facility," Johnston said.

D'arcy Johnston on lack of regulations when it comes to pet rescues

8 years ago

Duration 1:18

D'arcy Johnston runs D'arcy's Arc - a pet rescue shelter, he says there are no rules or permits people have to have to run an animal rescue. He says rescues are only inspected on a complaint basis and stories such as this give all shelters and rescues a black eye.

And because the current manner of investigating suspected animal abuse cases is triggered by someone lodging a complaint — and not regular inspections — Johnston said he feels the province should create a body to conduct routine inspections of animal rescues.

"We need to put more controls in place," he said.

Problems are not uncommon in the rescue world, he added.

"There are a lot of groups out there calling themselves 'rescue' and operating right now, working out of a 500-square-foot apartment," said Johnston. "It doesn't make sense."

That's not to say people who start animal rescues don't have their hearts in the right place, he added, but they can get in over their heads.

"They get involved with it and don't really realize what's involved in running a rescue and quite possibly can get overwhelmed," he said.

Johnston recommends that anyone wanting to donate to an animal rescue group look online to see if the group is registered as a charity with the CRA, as it's a sign they're legitimate operators, he said.