By Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
Martine Huyssoon is a dog rescuer with a big heart who started Old MacDonald Kennels to help pay for her rescue program.
Huyssoon said she has a legal dog pound, which means 72 hours is the minimum amount of time she needs to hold a dog, after which she can euthanize it.
But Huyssoon does not euthanize dogs. “You walk in the kennel in the morning and everybody is happy to see you.”
The kennel has put down some dogs if a veterinarian advises; usually dogs with serious injuries or if they are unmanageable.
The kennel covers Ponoka County and can get calls to pick up stray dogs from around the area.
Some dogs come in with matted fur so thick their face is hidden behind it. “We have had to take a financial loss on some of these dogs because grooming can be expensive, but if it is a happy and healthy animal, saving their life is worth it,” said Huyssoon.
The kennel will work with vets at the end of October to spay and neuter stray dogs in the area. Huyssoon said this helps reduce an already large amount of strays.
The cost to adopt a dog from Old MacDonald Kennels is $285. This covers all spay or neuter costs as well as vaccinations. On Oct. 21 the kennel will host an open house and barbecue from 3 to 7 p.m. They are 17 kilometres east of Ponoka on Highway 53, north on Range road 235.