Natuashish residents trying to curb stray dog population

Some residents of Nutuashish are trying to keep the community's stray dog population from freezing or starving to death.

"We've had vets come in, there's a group of vets from PEI that come in and do some vet service, spaying and neutering, but you just can't get all the dogs," said Fulton Reid, a resident who is caring for about a dozen dogs.

Reid estimates that there are nearly 300 stray dogs that roam the streets of the coastal Labrador community.

Although the dogs don't have owners, there are people who feed some of them and even call them by name.

"I think it's safe to say most of them would be perished by now, starved to death, froze to death … it is sad, very sad, "said Reid.

Prop, one of the many strays in Natuashish, has found a home near the local airport and is becoming well-known to passengers and airport employees.

"Every day, every flight that comes in, Air Labrador feeds him. The Provincial [Airlines] pilots feed him, and I feed him … that's our security," said Corwin Freake who works in the airport.

Prop, who has been hanging out around the airport for the last year, greets every plane and keeps the airport employees company.

"He's pretty decent, a pretty good buddy. It gets lonely up here at nighttime when you're plowing the strip by yourself," said Freake.

Animal lovers in the community adopt as many of the dogs as they can, and even though organizations like the SPCA and Heavenly Creatures do a lot to help, residents said a lot of the strays are left to fend for themselves.