N.S. SPCA seeking donations to help five dogs found with rocks in their bellies
The Nova Scotia SPCA is asking for support from the community to help five dogs who are in desperate need of care.
The SPCA says the dogs were recently rushed to urgent care after they were found starving and dehydrated.
According to a post on the shelter's Twitter page, the dogs had rocks in their bellies and zero energy, which increases the likelihood of an animal's organs shutting down.
"It's always surprising when we get these types of dogs into our care, but when you get five, it's a bit of a different story. We're not used to getting that many at once," said Sandra Flemming, the director of animal care for the Nova Scotia SPCA, during an interview on CTV Morning Live.
According to Flemming, the dogs' ages range from one to five years old.
Due to an ongoing investigation, she says she can't release many details about what happened to the dogs before they entered the shelter, but says, so far, they're doing well with their recovery.
"It's a very slow process to bring dogs back when they’re so severely emaciated," she said. "On the weekend, I was checking in and a couple of them weren't doing as great as we had wanted them to be. It's a process."
"You have to start so slow with them to make sure you're not overwhelming their system. You have to monitor closely, you don't want them to get dehydrated, so it's a bit of a tricky first steps in the first couple of weeks, but then usually after that, that regular care and nutrients they get from the food start bringing them around, but it will be a while."
Flemming says, although the dogs are in rough shape, they’re very friendly and adapting well.
"They've been great since they've come in. They have wonderful temperaments, they're very kind dogs, they're very sweet," she said. "They've gone through a lot in a very short period of time and they're still being great with staff and that's the best we can hope for right now."
Eventually, once the dogs are strong enough, Flemming says they will likely be put into the shelter's "Foster to Adopt" program, where staff will continue to monitor the dogs' well-beings.
"Keep them under our care so we can continue to monitor them with our wonderful veterinarian team who just always knows how to jump in and get things going... and then let them go to their forever homes after that," said Flemming.
The SPCA says the dog group, which they refer to as "Greenie and his friends," have all been named after bright colours to symbolize their bright futures. Flemming says there are three girls and two boys.
Anyone interested in donating to "Greenie and his friends" can visit the SPCA's website.
Not only does the SPCA care for animals in need, but Flemming says it is also willing to help community members whenever they can.
"The rising cost of things has made it very difficult for people to afford pets. We're seeing a lot more surrenders than we ever have with people who are just not able to care for their pets anymore," she said.
"But we also want people to know that we have a pet pantry – if you can't afford to care for your animals, you can certainly call us, we'll give you food, litter, things that you need to get you over those humps in terms of your financial ability to afford things. We have lots of programming for the public when they fall on hard times and we just really want people to know that they just have to call us."
More information on SPCA programming or ways you can donate towards the not-for-profit organization can be found online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
It could take years to catch up on child vaccinations in Ontario post-pandemic
Ontario is still playing catch up on routine vaccinations that many children missed during the pandemic and public health officials are warning that it could take years to solve the problem.