Deaf and blind dog survives fall down ravine near Williams Lake

A blind and deaf stray dog took a hard fall down a ravine near Williams Lake and is now in the care of the B.C. SPCA.

The poodle/Australian shepherd mix called Clifford was brought into the Williams Lake branch of the B.C. SPCA by someone who watched the dog fall on her property, according to a media release issued, Dec. 15.

“Her yard backs onto a ravine with an abrupt drop-off, but they had just moved and had not had time to fence the area yet,” Williams Lake BCSPCA manager Liz Dighton said in the release. “There were logs to block off the edge, but Clifford, being blind, would not have seen them.”

Dighton said the property owner rescued the dog using a rope.

“The poor dog had clearly been neglected and was very scruffy and in desperate need of grooming,” Dighton said. “He had weeping eyes, infected ears and is almost completely blind and deaf, so he was in a very bad way.”

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Despite Clifford’s poor health, Dighton said he is a “sweet love bug who loves attention and getting treats.”

The society plans to keep the dog at the Williams Lake shelter for the time being and will look at transferring him to the Lower Mainland where he’ll have a better chance of getting adopted.

Dighton said Clifford would be “in heaven to have a warm, cozy home with a guardian who understands his special needs.”

If you'd like to make a donation to the B.C. SPCA, go here.

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