VANCOUVER – Willow, the husky who was found wandering in Maple Ridge, and who was so hungry she was eating gravel to survive is “getting stronger every day.”
The BC SPCA provided an update on Wednesday saying Willow is recovering.
She is with her foster family and now weighs 20.7 kg. When she was rescued she weighed only 15 kg, and should have weighed around 24 kg.
Willow, estimated to be between one and two years old, was brought to the Maple Ridge SPCA by a Good Samaritan on Jan. 31. She was found wandering near 256th and 128th Street.
“When she first came in she was unable to lie down due to abdominal pain caused by rocks and soil in her gastrointestinal tract. There were no food remnants in her stomach so we think she was eating gravel to try to stay alive.”
While she still has a long road to recovery, her foster family says Willow is starting to respond to her name and loves car rides.
Her owner has been identified and animal cruelty charges are going to be forwarded to Crown Counsel.
“We received a call from a neighbor who recognized the dog after seeing her in the media,” said Marcie Moriarty, chief prevention and enforcement officer for the BC SPCA. “Information from this individual led to the identification of the dog’s owner, a Coquitlam resident and university student in his 20s. After interviewing him we believe there is sufficient evidence to move forward with animal cruelty charges under both the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Criminal Code of Canada.”
No further details have been provided at this time about the owner or what happened to Willow.
However, one of her rescuers has expressed interest in adopting Willow and is in talks with the SPCA.
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