Close to $15,000 was raised in less than 24 hours to cover veterinary bills for a black Labrador that was stabbed, bound and beaten during a bizarre case of animal cruelty in Surrey, B.C.
Ryder went missing from his family’s yard on Valentine’s Day, only to be found horrifically injured in a basement suite in a nearby home less than a day later.
RCMP say a blood-soaked 24-year-old woman claimed she had been attacked by the three-year-old family pet, but instead the blood came from the badly injured pooch.
Ryder suffered serious lacerations inside his throat as the result of objects being forcibly shoved into his stomach, say vets. A plethora of items, including four lighters, jewelry, coins and a fish hook, were removed from his stomach during emergency surgery.
The dog is now undergoing more tests on his eyes, which show signs of severe hemorrhaging after jewelry was apparently shoved into his eyelids and eye sockets. The canine still has two small objects in his stomach.
With medical bills mounting, two crowdfunding pages have been set up to help owner Ryan Westaway.
Their goal is to raise a total of $30,000 to ease the family's burden, and the GoFundMe campaign promises that any extra funds will be donated to other animals in need.
Related: Donate to Save Ryder campaign, and Ryder Kidnapped
Westaway told CTV News he was appalled and shocked by the cruelty inflicted on the dog that has only showed kindness to his family.
“Who would do this? Who is this person?” he said.
The 24-year-old woman accused of kidnapping and beating the dog was arrested and is undergoing a psych assessment. She remains in custody but it's unclear when and if she will be released.
The BC SPCA said it hopes to recommend charges of animal cruelty to the Crown by Wednesday.
