Hunt is on for owner of dog tied up and left to die near Penticton

CONTENT ADVISORY

Investigators are hoping that someone has information about an animal cruelty case near Penticton.

The BC SPCA received a report from a grandfather and granddaughter who found a dead dog in the woods south of Penticton on Nov. 21, according to a press release from the BC SPCA issued today, Nov. 28.

A BC SPCA animal protection officer went out to the remote area on McIntyre Creek Road near Vaseaux Lake. They found a dead German shepherd that was muzzled and tied to a tree.

The dog was so decomposed that it wasn’t possible to determine the animal’s sex.

It had a navy blue and black harness, a black rubber basket muzzle on its snout. There was no identification tag, microchip or identifying tattoo.

There were no signs of injuries or trauma, so a necropsy will be performed to figure out the cause of death.

“This was a thick rope used to tie the dog up, and it was given less than two feet of length. It’s clear from the tightness of the knot just how hard the dog struggled to get free. It was pulled completely taut,” regional manager for cruelty investigations Matt Affleck said in the release.

“It’s awful to think about the dog’s last moments and the panic of being left alone in the woods to die in this way.”

The BC SPCA is asking the public to help identify the dog and its owner. Anyone with information has been asked to call the helpline between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. at 1-855-622-7722.

“The level of suffering this poor animal had to go through is something no creature should have to endure. We’re conscious that we don’t yet have all the information about how the dog ended up here, but the use of a basket muzzle and such a tight tether with a thick rope is concerning. Especially while wearing a muzzle like this one, there was no chance this poor dog could chew itself free,” Affleck said.