A pair of adorable St. Bernard-cross puppies that were rescued from a cliff in Mission, B.C. over the weekend will be put up for adoption if their owner doesn't come forward within the next few days, the BC SPCA says.
The four-month-old pups were found cold, hungry and whimpering on a ledge by members of Mission Search and Rescue Sunday, four days after the desperate whining of dogs began echoing through the valley near Stave lake.
"During the day, as soon as they get a bit of energy when it warms up a bit, they are howling and crying all day long," said nearby resident Emma Wilfert.
Although outside their mandate, Mission SAR realized that in they didn't help the dogs, residents might try to and could get stuck themselves. And so the group's very first animal rescue mission began.
Armed with climbing gear, 15 rescuers scaled the steep terrain, making it to the ledge where the puppies were trapped.
According to veterinarian Adrian Walton, the dogs were "a little thin" but otherwise in good health despite the ordeal.
Given where they were found and the fact that no one in the area reported any missing dogs, Walton suspects the puppies were dumped, adding that he would reach out to the SPCA's animal cruelty department.
With no collars, tattoos or microchips to help identify them, staff at the SPCA's Maple Ridge branch have named the dogs Duchess and Francine.
"All the dogs that come in, any animal actually that comes in, has a four-day holding period," said Krista Shaw of the BC SPCA. "After that, they will be available for adoption."
The office has already received calls from people who are interested, including some involved in the rescue.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Breanna Karstens-Smith and Jon Woodward
