A well-known stray dog from a northern Manitoba community was the victim of a vicious attack that left him clinging to life.
Debra Vandekerkhove of Norway House Animal Rescue told 680 CJOB Thursday that Vortex was known as an outgoing, social, friendly dog with a great disposition, which made his abuse even more shocking.
Vortex was found in Garden Hill – a remote fly-in community – with a nylon rope hanging from his neck. Vandekerkhove said he was bleeding profusely and suffering from severe injuries.
“The veterinarians feel that someone had either hung him or tried to strangle him, and he’s got a lot of facial injuries as well,” she said.
“It looks like somebody was trying to hit him with some sort of object. His eyes were completely full of blood as well.”
X-rays also showed that Vortex’s body was riddled with pellets.
Vandekerkhove said volunteers in Garden Hill picked Vortex up in order to get him the medical treatment he desperately needed.
“We were just really lucky that there happened to be a plane coming into the community, and that we happened to have supplies already in the community, like a kennel,” she said.
“We said ‘get him in that kennel and get him on that plane.’
“He was definitely not treated very well. I’m really surprised that he actually survived the flight.”
Vortex is currently in the care of the Manitoba Mutts dog rescue, who said Thursday that Vortex is improving, but still has a long way to go.
His swelling has apparently gone down, but he’s still being fed by a syringe, and won’t be going to a foster home until he’s capable of eating on his own.
Vandekerkhove said this case is a prime example of why Manitoba needs to improve its process when it comes to abused animals.
“We need a board that monitors what’s going on when it comes to animals in distress and animal cruelty charges,” she said, suggesting a similar board to the one that oversees the Winnipeg Police Service.
“One of the things that comes up a lot is that we’d like to see the province start looking at publicly posting when people are charged with animal cruelty.”
WATCH: Asha the dog recovering in loving Winnipeg home