The BC SPCA is reminding motorists of the dangerous, and illegal, act of putting unsecured dogs in the back of pickup trucks after a puppy in Williams Lake recently suffered serious injuries in a vehicle accident.
The seven-month-old German Shepherd named Chilli is now recovered from the ‘horrific injuries’ she sustained, including the loss of a leg, when she fell out of the back, said BC SPCA Williams Lake Branch manager Liz Dighton. The puppy was surrendered to the SPCA.
Chilli’s front leg was torn at the shoulder under her chest and down the inside of her front leg. The muscles from her chest to her shoulder were severed. Her skin was torn off of the tissue from her upper forearm to her armpit and she had numerous severed arteries, Dighton noted.
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“Chilli had such deep wounds all along her leg that the limb was beyond repair and she required an emergency amputation to save her life.”
Dighton said the incident should serve as a reminder to travel with your pets secured inside the vehicle. It is illegal to transport an unsecured pet in the back of a pickup truck under Section 72 of the B.C. Motor Vehicle Act and Section 9.3 of the B.C. Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. If a pet must be transported in the back of a truck the safest method is to keep them inside a secured crate in the centre of the truck box.
Chilli’s emergency amputation surgery, follow up examinations, physiotherapy and daily care is expected to reach $4,230. She will need at least three weeks in SPCA care before she is ready to be adopted.
“This young lady is super-friendly and sweet,” says Dighton of Chilli. “She enjoys cuddles and is so careful to be gentle when around people. We really hope that people are able to donate towards her emergency surgery.”
If you can help this puppy and other animals in need at the Williams Lake & District SPCA, please visit the SPCA website or visit the branch at 709 Bond Lake Road, Williams Lake, 250.392.2179.
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