New partnership and innovative solution is supporting first nation communities to address dog issues

Edmonton, June 29 2023

After years of working with traditional rescues, there was a realization: The key to successfully helping an entire community is sharing knowledge. Drawing on our combined experience of over 50 years of working with First Nations communities, we look for sustainable solutions to set animals and their guardians up for success.

“Our innovative approach to animal welfare, with a focus on strong Indigenous partnerships, will change the perception of being regarded as the “dog catchers” to being fondly referred to as the dog helpers. As our goal at the end of the program is the same as the goals of community members and Chief and Council, working together towards those goals fosters a long term, sustainable result.” says Nina Brochu, Founding Member (FLIPP)

“We strive to create respectful, knowledge based practices that encourage open and collaborative communication. By presenting alternatives to removing and rehoming beloved companion animals, we can ensure families are kept together.“ Nicole Boulanger, Founding Member (FLIPP)

Our team works to build relationships with animal Guardians based on trust and mutual respect. A judgment free approach allows open and honest conversations to ensure the animals needs are met and everyone can feel safe discussing their challenges. Through these interactions we are able to identify and create programs that may be needed to allow for a positive resolution.

One of the major concerns voiced by the guardians we engage with on Nation is the issue of missing dogs. Often, roaming dogs are mistaken as strays and removed from the community, even though they may be legally entitled to wander. In other cases, missing dogs may still be within the community but find themselves lingering around another home. While our team is known for thinking outside the box, we found ourselves with only one solution to tackle this challenge.

In our ongoing commitment to supporting our partnering communities and addressing their challenges, we are thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership that brings forth innovative solutions. The issue of missing dogs and the difficulties in reuniting them with their guardians has led us to collaborate with GPC Smart^®, leading to the introduction of GPC Tags—a game-changing tool in the quest for lost pet reunions and community safety.

Microchips, while effective when a dog ends up at a shelter or a veterinarian office, have limitations. Legally roaming dogs often end up in unfamiliar parts of the Nation, where microchip scanners are not readily available, leaving these unknown dogs without a name. We have witnessed instances where a dog wanders away, is mistakenly assumed to be a stray by another family, and is inadvertently fed. Even with a collar, people may recognize that the dog has a home, but they remain unaware of where it belongs.

This is where our esteemed partners at GPC Smart^® come in, offering an innovative solution to these pressing issues. GPC Tags provide unique solutions to multiple challenges, the primary one being the community’s ability to collaborate in reunifying lost dogs with their guardians and identifying visiting dogs. By ensuring better identification of dogs, problem dogs can easily be identified and better management of large groups of dogs can be simplified.

Each GPC Tag is a small, durable tag featuring a QR/NFC code that contains essential information for reuniting families and ensuring everyone’s safety. By simply scanning the tag with a smartphone, a person can access a wealth of information, including a picture for identification, guardian contact details, behavioral information, and much more. Guardians can easily update their pets’ profiles using a user-friendly app and set alerts if their pet goes missing. When a missing dog is scanned, the location of the scan is directly sent to the guardian, aiding in their search efforts.

We express our heartfelt gratitude to GPC Smart^® for their generous donation of tags to our program. We are eager to distribute these tags to our partnering communities, empowering them with the tools to safeguard their beloved pets.

While our focus is primarily on Nations, these tags offer benefits to dogs in cities, farms, and acreages as well. Moreover, GPC Tags are not limited to dogs alone—they can also benefit cats and even livestock.

Every six to eight weeks, our dedicated team visits partnering communities, providing assistance to guardians and helping them overcome animal-related challenges. Our primary goal is to find sustainable solutions so that one day, the Nation can thrive independently, without our support.

“Community liaisons and animal champions can be found within every community. They quickly become key components of the FLIPP program when it becomes evident that sharing our knowledge and resources benefits us all.” Anjie Robinson, Founding Member

We emphasize that we require a formal invitation from the Chief and Council before proceeding with any partnership.

FLIPP is a registered charity under the umbrella of the Muttstock Alberta Rescue Benefit Society. CRA Registered Charity # 77254 6073 RR000.