Marika Donnelly, the BC SPCA branch manager for the Squamish Valley, says when a year-and-a-half old dachshund mix was brought into their shelter, he was in a very rough shape.
“The staff were quite shocked. It was really bad,” says Donnelly.
The dog named Harold was found on a rural back road just outside Squamish and was badly injured and neglected.
He had damaged skin and major bruising all over his ribcage and abdomen.
The damaged skin on his hind end and inner right leg had gone necrotic and was infected.
Donnelly says they are not quite sure how Harold got hurt, but possible burns and blunt-force trauma are suspected.
His injuries were also at least a few weeks old.
“It is quite suspicious regardless of whether the injuries are accidental or not,” says Donnelly. “He was not taken to the vet for treatment. Because it takes time for that tissue to die off, he was left like that for quite a long time, and it is very painful. It would have killed him.”
Harold has now undergone two surgeries to remove the dead tissue, and is doing really well.
“He could not move or walk when we first got him. But within a few days after his first surgery, he was up and moving around. It is quite surprising how quickly he bounced back.”
Harold will need another one or two surgeries to slowly close the open wounds as new tissue forms. He still requires round-the-clock care.
The SPCA has no leads in Harold’s case so far. But they are looking for any information on what may have happened to him.
He was found on a rural road, quite far from a residential area.
“There is no where he could have wandered from up there, especially in his condition. So I am wondering if somebody brought him up there and left him there. We really do not know,” says Donnelly.
Donnelly says the severity of Harold’s injuries is not something they see every day.
“That bad and still hanging on, not very often. We unfortunately do see our share of neglected animals up here. But just the extent, it was not a pretty sight.”
The branch is now looking for donations to pay for Harold’s surgery bill, which now stands at about $2000.
To donate, you can go to the BC SPCA Squamish Valley web page here. You can also call 604-898-9890 or donate in person at 39901 Government Rd.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the BC SPCA Cruelty Investigations hotline at 1-855-622-7722.
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