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Dog with casts on front legs left on Alberta road with bag of food

WATCH ABOVE: Over the weekend, a dog was found left on the side of the road, its owner nowhere to be found. As Tracy Nagai reports, the animal’s injuries could help to track down the person responsible.

CALGARY – An animal rescue centre is hoping to find answers after a dog with two casts on its front legs was left with a bag of food by the side of the road in southern Alberta on Sunday.

Rocky Mountain Animal Rescue dog behaviourist Rory O’Neill said she’s worked for the rescue centre for 15 years, but has never seen such a case.

“At first I thought it was a hoax, like just to rile us up…because it just seemed so unlikely with the bag of food. But [a man] stopped on the dirt road and took it home and found us on the website,” said O’Neill.
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The animal rescue worker said the dog, which had no identification, was found by a man from Morley, Alta. – which is a First Nations settlement about 60 km west of Calgary. The rescue centre staff have affectionately named the dog “Afro Man” since his “long, unruly fur looks like an afro.”

After the story aired, a woman called Global News and reported seeing the dog on Highway 93 on the way back from Radium on Friday afternoon. Scarlett Yakiwchuk said her family’s truck broke down at a rest stop just past Olive Lake.

Rocky Mountain Animal Rescue staff have affectionately named the dog “Afro Man” since his “long, unruly fur looks like an afro.”. Rocky Mountain Rescue handout

“This lady came up with two smaller children, and a boy said, ‘did you lose a dog with two casts?” said Yakiwchuk. “She said she found him on the side of the road coming up from Radium.”

“It was absolutely the same dog -you can’t mistake that black ruffle. He was so shaggy and he had the same coloured casts on and everything.”

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Yakiwchuk said the way the woman was talking suggested she was “considering keeping the dog.”

“So I just assumed the dog was going to be taken care of after that.”

O’Neill said the dog looks like a Poodle that’s had its hair grown out for too long without a cut. She suggests the dog is at least a year and a half.

“Our team thinks it’s a backyard breeder [who left the dog] because they don’t make any money off of dogs that have been injured to this degree,” said O’Neill. “No one’s going to pay for a dog that has broken legs. Or pay for additional vet bills.”

She said the casts looked like the work of a professional vet, and is hoping whoever worked on the dog may come forward with more information.

“People care. This man took him home, found us on the Internet, took the time to get help and he said he called because he wants to see the dog get some veterinary help.”

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Afro Man is currently at a foster home in Harvie Heights near Canmore. O’Neill said he has an x-ray appointment in Calgary Tuesday, and then he’ll be neutered and given up-to-date shots before being put up for adoption.
“He’s super sweet, affectionate, he wants to be with people. He’s with a family right now with children and he’s good with kids,” said O’Neill. “We’ll look for a good match.”

Anyone with information can call the Rocky Mountain Animal Rescue at 403-673-3224.

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