WARNING: Photos in this story are unsettling.
In the 30-plus years she’s been volunteering with animal rescue services, Siobhan Rich said she’d never seen a dog in worse condition than Miracle.
In mid April, Rich received a text about a dog who had been found in the need of medical attention. The approximately four-month-old pup was gaunt, weighing about 26 pounds.
“The dog was in the worst condition I’ve ever seen,” said Rich, who lives in Sicamous.
A volunteer with Shuswap Paws Rescue Society, Rich said she picked up the puppy and, with support from Shuswap Paws president Barbara Gosselin, was able to get Miracle into Shuswap Veterinary Clinic right away.
“The vet figured she had two or three days left to live,” said Rich.
Since then, Miracle – the name she was given following her rescue – has been in foster care with Rich.
“She has gone from 26 to 54 lbs. in three weeks,” said Rich.
Miracle is coming up for adoption. Apart from recovering from having been terribly underweight, Rich said Miracle had no other health issues. In a post on the Shuswap Paws Facebook page, Rich described Miracle as being housebroken with basic obedience skills, good with kids, cats and livestock.
In mid-April, Miracle came into the care of Shuswap Paws Rescue Society volunteer Siobhan Rich. When found, the rescued dog was gaunt and weighed about 26 lbs. (Contributed)
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“She definitely has guardian breeds in her,” said Rich. “She will be a big girl. She is low to medium energy. She will need a large fenced yard and is happy to spend her days outside watching over things. She will alert bark.”
Rich noted her post about Miracle prompted a lot of replies from people wanting to help. She explained Shuswap Paws is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization that relies on donations.
“Cases like Miracle are expensive and ongoing, her recovery will be slow,” said Rich.
June is also kitten season, said Rich. As of late May, Shuswap Paws already had 131 cats in its care.
“We spay, neuter, microchip and screen, that’s all volunteer based,” said Rich. “We fundraise to pay any medical expenses. Our adoption fee for a kitten is $200. You couldn’t get an animal fixed for that, let alone three sets of shots.”
Anyone wishing to donate can do so by e-transfer to shuswappaws@gmail.com. For more information, visit the Shuswap Paws Rescue Society page on Facebook.
lachlan@saobserver.net
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