45 Tiny, Matted Dogs Can't Believe They're Finally Getting Help
Some of them could barely see — but they knew they were finally safe 💗
Just looking at the group of filthy, matted dogs, it was clear no one had cared for them in a long time.
Kept in wire pens inside a British Columbia home, each of the 45 dogs were completely covered in a thick blanket of knotted fur, soaked in urine and feces.
The house where they were kept wasn’t much better.
“Our staff had to use ventilators because they couldn’t even breathe,” Lorie Chortyk, community relations manager for British Columbia SPCA, told The Dodo. “All of them were kept inside the house, so there were high levels of ammonia from the urine buildup.”
The SPCA was tipped off about the home through an animal cruelty hotline, and after visiting the property, learned the dogs’ owner was a former breeder who hadn’t sold any dogs for the past five years. The dogs she was keeping ranged from 1 to 15 years old.
The dogs were admitted to the rescue last Thursday, where they’ve been getting groomed, bathed and examined by veterinarians. The mats are so thick that most dogs will need to be fully shaved to be freed.
Some dogs are also infected with ringworm, so they’re in quarantine until they’re no longer contagious. Others have severe dental disease from lack of care, which will require cleanings in the coming days.
Since many of the dogs are still being health-checked and treated, none are ready for adoption yet. Within the coming weeks and months, more information on adoption will be available on the SPCA’s website.
Despite the horrid living conditions they experienced, most of the dogs can’t get enough human attention — and luckily for them, there are plenty of snuggles to go around.
“They are little troopers,” Chortyk said. “We’ve moved them into a new environment, when they’ve already been through a lot, and they’ve been doing great. They’re definitely starting to feel better already.”