Chihuahua has new home weeks after being abandoned in Guelph-area holding tank

There’s some good news about a dog that was found abandoned in the bottom of a restroom at a Guelph, Ont.-area conservation area.

Cleo, the six-year-old Chihuahua, is recovering in a foster home almost a month after the dog was left alone inside a holding tank of an outhouse at Guelph Lake Conservation Authority.

Jane Dawkins, director of communications and community engagement at the humane society, said the dog is now being looked after by one of their employees where she will be in a nurturing environment.

“Lindsay Laird is also a registered veterinary technician so she took her home where she can receive 24-hour care,” said Dawkins. “Cleo has excelled in her foster home.”

“After considering Cleo’s unique needs, we believe that being adopted by her foster family with whom she has started to build trust, feel secure and thrive, is the best path forward in her journey,” said Lisa Veit, executive director of the humane society, in a news release.

Veit went on to say that they would normally put abandoned animals up for adoption but made an exception for Cleo.

A conservation officer discovered the dog on May 26 covered in human urine and feces.

Cleo was handed over to animal services and then to a veterinarian for care and assessment before being transferred to the Guelph Humane Society. Dawkins said Cleo was malnourished, had burns on her body, overgrown nails, and decaying teeth when she was brought in.

“She had been on medication to clear up any infections,” she said. “We had her on a re-feeding program in order for her to gain weight. She seems to be doing well physically.”

There has been no update as to how Cleo ended up in the holding tank at the conservation area. Dawkins said the incident has been reported to the province and an investigation is underway.

“It does appear to be an instance of cruelty and abandonment,” said Dawkins. “It’s a hard one for people to get around. It’s hard to imagine any other way she ended up.”

Dawkins said there has been an outpouring of support from the community after hearing about Cleo and they are glad that this story has a happy ending.

“So many people fell in love with her hearing her original story. We wanted to be sure that people were brought along Cleo’s journey and knew what was next in store for her.”

— with files from Global’s Mike Hodges