‘They’re walking skeletons,’ says security officer with SPCA

Animal security officers with the B.C. SPCA seized 13 hungry dogs from a breeder in Clearwater, B.C., about 125 kilometers north of Kamloops on Tuesday — a day after two other adult dogs in same condition was surrendered from the same property.

“The condition of these animals was just horrifying,” said the animal welfare organization in a statement, adding that the specific was breeding Cane Corso-type puppies and selling them for benefit during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eileen Drever, the organization’s senior officer for security and stakeholder relations, says it’s one of the worst cases of animal unkindness she’s seen in decades.

“They’re walking skeletons,” Drever said in an interview. “I’ve never, ever seen, in my 42-year career, a dog so excruciatingly thin.”

Drever says some of the dogs were left in sub-zero temperatures with no nourishment, no fat on their physiques and no way to keep warm.

“Their water dishes were ice-covered over. They were living among feces,” she said, adding that a few of the animals were eating whatever was around — including their own ordure and blankets.

The SPCA says a group 10-week-old puppies were kept indoors in a wire crate but had no access to food.

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The rest of the dogs were held in open-air pens, which were filled with compact snow and ice, without a dry place for them to doze.

Drever says the B.C SPCA is continuing its study and will “most definitely” recommend charges of animal brutality to Crown counsel.

‘Keeping my fingers crossed that they pull through this’

The dogs were instantaneously brought to a veterinarian for treatment and will remain in the care of the SPCA with staff doing the whole thing they can to nurse them back to health.

Drever says SPCA staffs have adjusted their schedules to be capable to stay with the dogs that need around-the-clock care and feed them small amounts of food at a time.

On top of the animals’ medical requirements, she says numerous of them are fearful, not socialized and will need behavioral and emotional support once they heal bodily.

“I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that they pull through this,” said Drever. 

“It breaks my heart thinking how long these dogs must have agonized.”

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Drever says she’s annoyed that a breeder would ignore their accountability to care for their animals, and anybody who’s overwhelmed or stressed to keep up with providing care shouldn’t vacillate to reach out to the B.C. SPCA.

She adds that anybody looking to buy a new puppy must also cautiously consider where the animal is coming from, who its parentages are and who’s accountable for breeding them.

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“If you’re looking to buying a dog and you don’t want to adopt, do your homework,” she said.

“I’m so sick of animals being used to make money.”