Sudbury

Emergency supplies of dog food sent to Kashechewan after urgent request

More than 750 lbs of dog food have been flown in to Kashechewan First Nation to feed local dogs, after hundreds of community members were evacuated last week due to flooding concerns.

Hundreds of residents in remote northern Ontario First Nation evacuated last week due to flooding concerns

A dog walks through Kashechewan First Nation in March 2017. (Olivia Stefanovich/CBC)

More than 750 lbs of dog food have been flown in to Kashechewan First Nation to feed local dogs, after hundreds of community members were evacuated last week due to flooding concerns.

The dog food was collected by the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) after receiving an urgent request from the remote northern Ontario community.

An evacuation of more than 500 residents unfolded last week due to flooding concerns. The James Bay coast community is located along the Albany River's floodplain, requiring some community members to be evacuated every spring.

Ontario SPCA Agent Chelsey Romain unloads dog food being flown into Kashechewan First Nation. (Ontario SPCA)

"We were invited by the deputy chief of Kashechewan First Nation to support their community in their time of need," said Judi Cannon, who heads up the Ontario SPCA's Indigenous programs and community outreach.

Food was collected throughout the province and sent from Timmins by plane, Cannon said.

The food should last for two weeks, Cannon said. This is not the first time that the animal welfare organization has sent dog food to the community.

Dogs play in Kashechewan in March 2017. The community requested hundreds of pounds of dog food to feed pets following the evacuation of hundreds of residents. (Olivia Stefanovich/CBC)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marina von Stackelberg is a senior reporter at CBC's Parliamentary Bureau in Ottawa. She covers national politics and specializes in health policy. Marina previously worked as a reporter and host in Winnipeg, with earlier stints in Halifax and Sudbury. Connect with her by email at mvs@cbc.ca or on social media @CBCMarina.