WINNIPEG Reagan Takeuchi and her partner have been the proud owners of Millie, a golden retriever mix, for about one year. The dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic played a big role in their decision to get a pet. “We both figured out that we were going to be working from home, so we knew we had the time and attention to spend on a new pup,” said Takeuchi. It’s not exactly a unique experience. Plenty of Manitobans became pet owners during the pandemic. “I can honestly say in the thirty years (of the shelter), I’ve never seen empty cages in the way that we had (at the start of the pandemic),” said Carla Martinelli-Irvine, founder and executive director of the Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter.
Author of the article: Glen Dawkins
Publishing date: Dec 26, 2020 • December 26, 2020 • 7 minute read • Police officers examine the scene with the use of an excavator on Tuesday, July 21, at a residence on Alfred Avenue in Winnipeg which was destroyed by fire and demolished on June 20, 2020. RCMP Major Crime Services investigators have now identified a location of interest at 381 Alfred Ave. in Winnipeg that may be linked to the homicide of Gerhard Reimer-Wiebe whose body was discovered in Portage la Prairie, Man., on June 24. Reimer-Wiebe s death was among the 43 homicides investigated in 2020. Photo by Glen Dawkins /Winnipeg Sun
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After setting a dubious mark in 2019 with record 44 homicides, Winnipeg continued its deadly ways in 2020 with another 43 murders with days left before the end of the year.
WINNIPEG Some animal shelters usually say getting a furry friend around the holidays is a bad idea, but this year may be different due to public health orders during the pandemic. Most years, the holidays are filled with get-togethers and parties with family, friends and excited children. Introducing a new cat or dog into a bustling, busy household at this time of year can be very stressful for the animal, said Carla Martinelli-Irvine, the founder and executive director at Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter. But given the extended public health orders, which limit social interactions to households only, her animal shelter may consider applications for pet adoptions, she said.