By Charles Lefebvre

SPCA rescues puppies believed to have been tossed from vehicle

Jan 17, 2018 | 1:29 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Quick action from a passerby and the Medicine Hat SPCA have saved the lives of six dogs found injured and abandoned.

On Monday, the SPCA received a message for a passerby, noting they had found a husky-cross and her six puppies on a rural back road in Saskatchewan. The woman had found the animals, sheltered them overnight, and was asked to bring them to the Medicine Hat SPCA, which was the closest shelter.

Katie Ayres, executive director of the SPCA, said when they spoke to the person who found the dogs, health issues were noted.

“One of the puppies was having a hard time walking, another one was having seizures, (there were) just some things that were a bit concerning,” she said.

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All of the animals were taken to a local veterinarian to examine for any diseases which could’ve caused the symptoms. However, the examination found three of the puppies, who are estimated to be five weeks old, were suffering from head trauma.

“Based on where they were found, and the fact that they had head trauma, it’s a possibility they were tossed from a moving vehicle,” Ayres said. “The vet clinic has seen similar cases, and that is what the cause has been.”

Sadly, one of the puppies had to be euthanized due to the severity of the injuries.

Ayres says the puppies and their mother are all currently recovering with the help of foster owners.

“We’re not too sure if they were malnourished, or hypoglycemic or what was going on, but the one that was having some seizures has not been having seizures, and the one that was having trouble walking is doing much better now,” she said. “They were definitely emaciated and starving. They were very anxious to get at food, even though they were quite young to be eating solid food.”

If all goes well, the dogs will likely be ready for adoption in a month.

Ayres says the organization has been seeing a lot of medical cases recently, with animals coming in injured and sick, with diabetes, amputations and being injured by another animal being common.

“Sometimes, it’s because people can’t afford the veterinary care, so we’re actually getting contacted by the vet clinic, saying that they can’t take on the care of the animals, and asking if we can,” she said.

Ayres adds medical expenses can quickly add up for the organization, and is the biggest focus for donations right now.

Those who wish to donate to the SPCA can do so online at www.medhatspca.ca or by visiting the shelter.