The BC SPCA say staff at its Sunshine Coast branch are taking care of a stray senior Labrador named Ernest after he somehow ingested THC and high levels of cocaine.
The animal welfare organization said in a post on their website that the chocolate lab, nicknamed Ernie, was found by a Good Samaritan this week. Staff noticed he was very uncoordinated, and within two hours of being in their care became almost unresponsive.
Branch manager Marika Donnelly said Ernie was rushed to a vet where a test detected the ingested drugs.
The vet also found he was suffering from other injuries, including a painful, untreated ear infection.
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“Ernie’s ears were so bad that he had a horrible odour emanating from him,” Donnelly said. “The vet could not see if his eardrums are intact as there was so much pus and debris in the ear canal.”
The vet also found a benign mass on his right leg that needs to be removed, and two lower canine teeth that need to be extracted. His medical treatment is expected to cost about $2,000.
The good news: Ernie is on the road to recovery, which staff expect to take about two months. Then, he can find a new home.
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