Nutrience In The Community

Nutrience is proud to sponsor
CARDA
Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association,
who participated in Whistler
for the 2010 Olympics.

CARDA, the Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association was pleased to join the Integrated Security Unit on the mountains of Cypress, Whistler Mountains and the Callaghan Valley during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. CARDA assisted in the safety and security of the public, the Games, and security personnel by providing coverage with certified avalanche rescue dog teams.

CARDA is a volunteer, non-profit charitable organization whose members dedicate their time and expertise to saving lives of avalanche victims. Members are not just avid skiers who love dogs; they possess a multitude of skill sets.

Dog handlers are registered with the Provincial Emergency Program (PEP) in British Columbia, are active members of a local mountain search and rescue team, hold valid Standard First Aid Certificates and have a minimum Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA) Level 1 avalanche certificate. They are skilled in mountaineering, are strong back country skiers and are proficient in handling their dogs. Other skills members may possess are advanced medical techniques and avalanche forecasting.

CARDA teams are positioned around the mountainous regions of BC, Alberta and the Yukon. There are currently 30 operational CARDA search dog teams, many of whom work on the slopes of some of the country’s top ski resorts and backcountry lodges where the dogs and handlers have ample opportunity to work in avalanche terrain.

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Avalanches are an ever present hazard of the mountains of Canada and unfortunately an average of 14 people in Canada have been killed in avalanches annually over the last 10 years. The 2008-2009 season was especially devastating, with 26 avalanche fatalities. Consequently, volunteer avalanche search and rescue dogs are a valuable resource. Properly trained avalanche search and rescue dog teams can be more efficient than SAR teams alone. The dog teams can search an area of approximately 1 Ha in 30 min. for a coarse search, and 1-2 hrs. for a fine search. In comparison, a probe line would take 4 hrs for a coarse search, and 20 hrs. for a fine search. Fast search times are very important as any precious time lost increases the likelihood of a body recovery, rather than the recovery of a live person. In BC and Alberta various RCMP and Parks Canada canine units are trained in avalanche rescue and provide this search and rescue service. RCMP units, however, are generally located in urban areas and because of their location, limited numbers, and primarily law enforcement responsibilities it is recognized that volunteers dedicated to avalanche rescues are a valuable asset.
A relationship exists with CARDA and the RCMP as members and retirees from the RCMP Police Dog Service assist in the training and instruction of CARDA members. Once certified, CARDA members may be requested to provide their services to the RCMP and the Provincial Emergency Program of BC. CARDA is grateful to the RCMP for their continued support and mentorship in providing top notch avalanche rescue dog services in Western Canada.


For the Games, Whistler Mountain, Cypress Mountain and the Callaghan Valley had a CARDA team positioned to respond in the daylight hours while others were on-call. Because members were volunteering their time, the deployment was divided amongst 25 teams. CARDA teams were accredited members of the V2010 ISU, forming a partnership committed to securing the best Winter Games for everyone involved.

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Nutrience donates $1 million in much-needed pet food to more than 40 Canadian animal shelters

MONTREAL, Nov. 24 /CNW/ - Each year thousands of dogs and cats are brought to rescue facilities and shelters across Canada, creating an overwhelming need for food. Over the past 18 months Nutrience has generously donated $1 million worth of dog and cat food to over 40 of these volunteer-based shelters, helping to keep their doors open and providing dogs and cats with healthy, balanced nutrition.

"Giving back to communities across Canada by supporting volunteer-based organizations is extremely important to us," says Mark Hagen, Vice-President of Nutrition at Rolf C. Hagen Inc.

"We truly enjoy supporting the volunteer shelters, as they believe in the education and promotion of companion animal health and well-being, which is an important part of our company's very core."

Nutrience takes the health of pets very seriously by combining the highest quality ingredients with the latest nutritional developments to create a well-rounded range of complete and balanced foods. For neglected and abandoned cats and dogs, the inclusion of premium ingredients such as chicken, lamb, brown rice, oregano and flaxseed provide the nutrition to build a healthy body.

The use of these premium ingredients provides superior health benefits such as improved brain development, better digestibility, a fortified immune system and the building blocks necessary for a lean, healthy body.

The Humane Animal Rescue Team (H.A.R.T) in Edmonton rescues about 110 dogs annually from Native Reserves in and around the Edmonton area and has been receiving donations from Nutrience for the past four years. "The dogs are so thin (when we rescue them) you can count their ribs from a distance," says Wayne Tischer, owner of H.A.R.T. "The donations that Nutrience makes to us are much appreciated, as every single bag gets used to help make the dogs healthy, strong and ready for adoption."

"Nutrience has been very good to us," says Nathalie Pinel, owner of Cat Lovers in Montreal. As one of the recipients of the generous donations that Nutrience has made this year, Pinel is extremely grateful that she is able to continue to facilitate and save hundreds of cats annually. "We have over 450 cats in our facility each year, and without the donations from Nutrience we would not be able to feed them."

Nutrience has made generous contributions to over 40 facilities from coast-to-coast in the past year, enabling thousands of dogs and cats up for adoption to lead healthier lives.

The Nutrience brand will continue to make donations to rescue facilities and shelters shelters over the remainder of 2009. "Donating food is simply an extension of our business in order to help save and provide and provide excellent nutrition to countless companion animals across Canada," says Mark Hagen.