Staff at the Patti Dale Animal Shelter in Aldergrove arrived Saturday morning, March 23, to find a traumatized dog had been left tied to the parking lot gate with her own leash.
Sarah Jones, executive director of the 91原创 Animal Protection Society (LAPS) 鈥� which operates the shelter, said it took them a long time to get the terrified dog, a two-year-old female bully breed, calm enough to get her inside.
鈥淪he was giving us warnings, like 鈥榖ack away,鈥� so that we couldn鈥檛 untie her,鈥� Jones told the 91原创 Advance Times.
鈥淪o after spending about 40 minutes with her, tossing her hotdogs, she let us undo her leash and then we got her inside [without being bitten], but we haven鈥檛 even been able to take her jacket off yet, which is wet,鈥� Jones explained.
鈥漇he鈥檚 terrified. I mean she鈥檚 had a very traumatic evening.鈥�
An online appeal by LAPS was able to locate the owner, who, it turned out, had to suddenly go in for medical attention, Jones said.
鈥淭imes are very hard for people right now and although not the best choice to leave her terrified at the gate, they tried to do the right thing by bringing her to us,鈥� a LAPS statement said.
It will take time and effort before the abandoned dog can be put up for adoption, Jones predicted.
鈥淪he鈥檚 probably going to need intensive behaviour medication and behaviour [training] to help her get over the trauma.鈥�
Those who would like to make a donation toward the dog鈥檚 care are invited to visit .
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Jones said the shelter has been seeing more and more surrendered dogs, describing it as a 鈥渉uge problem.鈥�
As of Saturday, LAPS had 30 dogs, sharing 28 kennels.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had so many abandoned dogs,鈥� Jones related.
鈥淲e have people come in and say, here鈥檚 a litter of puppies. I found them at the side of the road.鈥�
Other shelters have experienced a similar increase in abandoned dogs, which many have blamed on an increase in underground breeding during the pandemic, followed by a drop in adoptions post-COVID, combined with tough economic times that are forcing some people to give up their pets.
鈥淚 think breeders are starting to realize that nobody wants these dogs,鈥� Jones said.
鈥淪o when they can鈥檛 get rid of them, they give them to us. And in the meantime, they鈥檙e not cared for properly. They鈥檙e not socialized.鈥�
It is also taking LAPS longer to find homes for abandoned dogs.
鈥淲e still have two puppies in care [Great Danes], and we can鈥檛 find them homes. They鈥檝e been with us for two and a half months. That鈥檚 unheard of.鈥�
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