The Fan Hitch   Volume 16, Number 3, June 2014

          Journal of the Inuit Sled Dog                                    
In This Issue....

From the Editor: On the Radar


Citizen Scientist Participation Requested


On the Trail of the Far Fur Country

Dealing with a Runaway or Breakaway Team of Inuit Dogs


The Chinook Project Returns to Labrador


Website Explores Indigenous People of the Russian Arctic


Book Review: Harnessed to the Pole: Sledge Dogs in Service to American Explorers of the Arctic, 1853-1909

IMHO: What’s Enough?


Navigating This Site

Index of articles by subject

Index of back issues by volume number

Search The Fan Hitch


Articles to download and print

Ordering Ken MacRury's Thesis

Our comprehensive list of resources

Defining the Inuit Dog


Talk to The Fan Hitch

The Fan Hitch home page

Editor's/Publisher's Statement
Editor: Sue Hamilton
Webmaster: Mark Hamilton
The Fan Hitch, Journal of the Inuit Sled Dog, is published four times a year. It is available at no cost online at: https://thefanhitch.org.

The Fan Hitch
welcomes your letters, stories, comments and suggestions. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit submissions used for publication.


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This site is dedicated to the Inuit Dog as well as related Inuit culture and traditions. It is also home to
The Fan Hitch, Journal of the Inuit Sled Dog.

Senior vet student Chris McLaughlin (l), and Dr. Marti Hopson (r)
prepping a dog for surgery in Makkovik, Labrador in 2011.
                                                Courtesy of the Chinook Project

The Chinook Project Returns to Labrador

by Dr. Lisa Miller, coordinator

2014 is certain to be an exciting year for the Chinook Project as we will be taking two groups of veterinarians, fourth year veterinary students, vaccines and other veterinary supplies to three locations in Labrador. This is our 9th year of providing veterinary care to northern dogs.  

The Chinook Project at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) of the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), located on Prince Edward Island, Canada has been able to continue this important work thanks to the generous support from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Zoetis Canada, Iams-Eukanuba, Boehringer-Ingelheim, the Rathylyn Foundation, Ann McCain Evans, Air Labrador and many other donors and supporters.


Map source Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage. All
communities removed except for Nain, Rigolet & Sheshiatshu.

In late June, the first team will return to Nain, where we had visited in 2012. This is the northernmost settlement in Labrador, population approximately 1200. The Nain Animal Wellness Clinic organization will host the project and provide accommodations and mobile clinic facilities. From Nain, the team will travel to Sheshatshiu.  Sheshatshiu is an Innu First Nations community. This will be our first visit to Sheshatshiu and the Chinook Project is looking forward to providing veterinary care to the many dogs there. The second team will meet up and work with the first in Sheshatshiu. Next, Team 2 will travel to Rigolet. Rigolet is a remote, coastal Inuit community, population 310, located on Hamilton Inlet. This will be our first visit to Rigolet.  

The communities are looking forward to the Chinook Project’s arrival. Rabies, distemper and parasites continue to affect the dog population as well as pose a public health issue. Each locale has arranged for 50 to 100+ dogs to visit our temporary clinics for veterinary care. Our teams will be busy! 

We will report on the Labrador clinics in the September 2014 issue of The Fan Hitch.

Taking two teams to three sites this year is administratively, physically and financially demanding. Your financial support is always appreciated and charitable receipts will be issued.


The Chinook Project
c/o Dr. Alice Crook
Coordinator, Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre
Atlantic Veterinary College
University of Prince Edward Island
550 University Avenue,
Charlottetown, PEI   C1A 4P3

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