Warning: This story contains graphic photos.
The BC SPCA says a three-and-a-half-year-old German shepherd is now recovering from severe leg injuries after falling out of the back of a truck she was harnessed to.
A witness to the incident contacted the RCMP after finding the owner with the injured pup, Heidi, in critical distress on the side of the road.
BC SPCA said she was riding tethered in the back of her owner’s pickup truck when she fell out and was dragged behind the vehicle.
Heidi was seized by the RCMP and rushed to a veterinary hospital where she is now receiving treatment for severe flesh wounds to her legs.
“When I first saw the pictures of Heidi’s injuries, I was shocked,” said Eileen Drever, BC SPCA’s senior officer of protection and stakeholder relations.
“Her paws and lower leg were worn down to the bone. The physical and psychological pain that this kind of tragic event would cause is unimaginable.”
Drever says the transport of an unsecured pet in a pick-up truck is illegal, adding “Heidi’s case shows even tethered transport poses serious risks.”
Heidi spent the next three and half weeks in the care of a local veterinary hospital, receiving around-the-clock bandage changes.
Today, the young German Shepard is spending her days at the BC SPCA’s Nanaimo animal centre. She will be available for adoption in mid-December.
“This is an RCMP file and they seized the dog pursuant to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act as the dog met the definition of being in critical distress,” Drever told Victoria Buzz in an email statement.
According to Drever, RCMP have recommended charges against the driver of the truck who agreed to surrender the dog to the SPCA.
Donations can be made via the BC SPCA’s website to help support Heidi and other injured animals like her.
Warning: This story contains graphic photos.
