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Behind the Scenes with our Investigations/Emergency Response Team

This year, the Investigations/ Emergency Response (I/ER) department is hoping to shed more light on what it is that the department does. The I/ER team focuses on educating the public, protecting animals, and ensuring that they are receiving the proper care/ treatment that they need. The team consists of dispatchers, Emergency Responders and Animal Protection Officers. Dispatchers appropriately triage the calls that come through both the Emergency Line and Animal Welfare Line. Emergency Responders respond to a variety of emergencies, such as animals who have been hit by cars, and assist Animal Protection Officers whenever possible.

Animal Protection Officers receive their status through the Province of Manitoba and enforce the Animal Care Act of Manitoba – they focus on concerns involving the welfare of an animal, such as animals outside without proper shelter or animals lacking medical care. APO’S have the ability to issue corrections and in more extreme circumstances, to remove animals and also have the ability to ticket owners. The department also assist other organizations whenever requested, such as the Winnipeg Police Service and the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service. There is only one emergency service vehicle for the entire city, so please be patient if you call.

For animal emergencies, please call 204-982-2020
To report a concern for an animals welfare, please call 204-982-2028
To report concerns for outside of the city, please call the Animal Care Line at 204-945-8000
To report bylaw concerns, such as barking concerns, please report it through 311

Here are the jobs for January that were attended to, this does not include the volume of calls that the department receives or the multiple visits that a job may require:

  • 259 cruelty/welfare concerns. Ninety of these calls were for animals being outside, with 48 of these calls being put through during the cold snap.
  • 38 emergencies.
  • 42 jobs for a variety of other tasks.

In total, for the month of January, our drivers attended to 339 calls.

For the month of February, the I/ER team attended:

  • 121 animal cruelty/welfare concerns,
  • 42 animal related emergencies and
  • 25 jobs for a variety of other tasks.

In total, for the month of February, our drivers attended to 188 calls .