The SPCA is looking for the owner of a starving husky found wandering Maple Ridge.
A concerned citizen found the Siberian husky semi-conscious lying at the side of a road on Jan. 31 near 256th and 128th streets.
The Good Samaritan thought the dog had been hit by a car. Shelter staff said the dog would have been dead within one or two days had she not been found.
She is likely between one and two years old and weighed a mere 15 kilograms when she was brought to the animal shelter. Normally dogs of the same age and breed weigh about 24 kilograms, according to the SPCA.
“She has been assessed with a score of ‘one’ on the canine body conditioning scale of one to nine, meaning that she is severely malnourished,” said BC SPCA senior animal protection officer Eileen Drever in a release.
She was taken to the Dewdney Animal Hospital for continuous 24-hour treatment then taken to the Maple Ridge SPCA where she remains.
The SPCA named the dog Willow and said she was found with nothing but rocks and soil in her stomach, likely as a means of survival. She continue to receive emergency medical and nutritional support and has already gained one kilogram since treatment began.
The dog had no identification and the animal welfare agency is hoping to speak with anyone who may be able to identify the canine.
The SPCA is investigating the case and asks anyone who recognizes Willow or who has information about the case to contact the BC SPCA’s animal cruelty hotline 1-855-622-7722.
