An animal welfare group has rescued 36 dogs destined for a "dog shoot" from a Cree community on the edge of James Bay in northern Quebec.
A community member alerted the International Fund for Animal Welfare to the planned shoot.
"Dog shoots" take place in many remote communities and First Nation reserves to control dog overpopulation, said Kate Atema, director of the organization's companion animal program.
The communities are often a day's drive or more from the nearest veterinarian, which makes it difficult to keep pets neutered, spayed and in good condition, she said.
"The view is that when a dog's a problem, they simply need to be gotten rid of, and the best way for them to get rid of them unfortunately is by shooting them," Ms. Atema said.
Community leaders and dog owners agreed to instead allow the animal welfare group transport the dogs to a Montreal kennel on July 15, she said.
"On the whole, the community was accepting, if not approving, of the option," Ms. Atema said. "Shoots are contentious issues in the community - they're seen on one hand as a necessity, and on the other hand as a necessary evil."
Most of the dogs were split up and taken to shelters in eastern Canada, but a group of six dogs was flown to Long Island, NY, on Monday and taken to nearby no-kill animal shelter North Shore Animal League.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare has taken small groups of dogs from the James Bay area before, but this is the first time the group has relocated dogs on a large scale, Ms. Atema said.
The animal welfare group has worked in eight local communities since 2002 to provide veterinary care, vaccination and education about responsible dog ownership.
The group of six dogs should be available for adoption by this weekend, said North Shore Animal League senior vice-president of operations Joanne Yohannan.
"When they first arrived, they were a little nervous and they had to understand where they were. I think once they realized they were safe, their playful personalities came out," Ms. Yohannan said.
Dogs that aren't neutered or spayed and are left free to roam end up acting like wild animals, Ms. Atema said. "Wild animals will pack up and attack small prey," she said.
Packs of dogs have mauled a number of children in remote communities and First Nation reserves in recent years.
A nine-year-old boy was attacked and killed by a group of dogs on a north Saskatchewan reserve in January. Band members later hunted down and killed dogs with the boy's blood on their fur.
In 2007, a five-year-old boy from the Cumberland House First Nation reserve in northern Saskatchewan died after five dogs attacked him.
And a five-year-old boy in northern Alberta died in 2006 after he was mauled by a pack of dogs running wild on the North Tallcree First Nation reserve.
"Any of those dogs could be a lovely dog if spayed or neutered and kept at home and under control," Ms. Atema said.