Kelowna women rescues dog being pulled behind moving vehicle
"WE ALMOST THREW UP WE WERE SO SCARED."
OKANAGAN – Four friends from Kelowna were driving on Road 22 in Oliver last Friday night when they saw something they couldn’t believe: A puppy, less than two months old, being pulled behind a moving vehicle.
“It was one of those really small lane roads,” says one of the women, who for safety reasons doesn't want her identity made public. ”The puppy was stumbling and we saw a kid in the back seat holding a rope.”
The rope was tied to a six to eight-week-old Red Heeler that was trying his best to keep up with the vehicle, which the witness says was going five to ten kilometres per hour. It was driven by a young woman with two kids in the back.
The friends, who were on a wine tour weekend around the south Okanagan, pulled in front of the SUV, forcing it to stop.
“I was in the front seat and (the driver of our vehicle) gets out, we had no idea what was going to happen,” she says. “I thought she was going to yell at her, but the next thing I know she’s jumped out of the car, unhooked the puppy and dropped it on my lap.”
They were about to leave when the other driver got out of her car and walked towards them.
“She said ‘that’s my dog, I wasn’t going very fast,'" says the witness.
After exchanging words the four women drove away with the puppy in the lap of the woman sitting in the passenger seat.
"He was just crying, crying, crying and licking the blood off me," she says. "All four of his paws were bleeding and the dewclaws were pulled right back."
A vet at South Valley Veterinary Hospital examined the dog that night and although he determined stitches weren't necessary, significant damage had been done.
“The pads of his feet were just raw and there was blood dripping from every single one of his nails,” she says. “He just cried and cried.”
The next day someone posted a picture of the puppy to a Facebook page dedicated to missing dogs in the Okanagan, claiming they were assaulted by three women who stole their dog and the online reaction was swift and brutal.
“All these people started saying they were going to come looking for us and there was a description of the vehicle and what we were wearing. We were terrified," she says. “We almost threw up we were so scared."
The women called RCMP and eventually got their side of the story on the Facebook posting. They also recommended they call the SPCA which is investigating.
She also says the dog's original owners called the vet where the puppy, now called Vino, was treated. According to the witness, she demanded to know where their dog was.
“The vet refused and said he would support charges against them and she hung up,” she says. “She wouldn’t give any more information about the dog or what had happened. We don’t even know what (Vino's) original name is.”
One of the four women, who has since agreed to keep Vino, says the otherwise healthy dog had a hard time walking for the first couple days but is recovering well. She has licenced the dog and is planning to neuter him as soon as he's old enough.
“He is such a sweet little dog,” she says. “When a puppy bleeds on you and then licks the blood off, you’re changed a little bit.”
To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infonews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
— This story was edited at 2:24 p.m. June 17 to remove a link.
ATTENTION COMMENTERS: All comments trying to identify the young woman involved will be hidden. One look at the tenor of these comments indicates nothing good can come from this. Proper authorities are investigating. Please let them handle this. We anticipate an update later today.
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69 responses
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thank goodness for people like you and your friends for intervening and saving that puppy…. the woman driving the car with the dog behind should have to do the same….drag her behind a car and see if she can keep up.. what the heck is wrong with people?
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Thank you ladies! Your are all angels and hero’s for being brave enough to put yourself in harms way to save that beautiful puppy! Wish there was more people like you in this world!
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sick people out there my hat goes off to the young ladies who saved this sweet little pup omg hard to believe someone could be so cruell.
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The sad part is the for the bitch’s kids in back seat holding the rope and witnessing it all.Woman’s a waist of skin and has a slug soon coming between the eyes…once I find a piece of rope.
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Thank You and God bless you all for saving this dog.For the people who did this KARMA will find you and you will suffer much worse then the dog did.
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The woman who elected to torture this little cutie needs a good, healthy dose of her own medicine!What a sociopathic barbarian!I’m so glad the little guy is in good care and healing in his new home.I think her name should be publicized and I hope to God the SPCA presses charges that the court takes seriously. A charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor should also be in there. Her two kids should be taken away and given serious counseling as well.She’s nothing but a waste of skin!
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Thank you for rescue this little Puppy , he is going to make you happy for many years.
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It’s pukes like that that need to be caught and punished accordingly. Pull back their toenails and injure their feet and see how good they get around for the whole time they are in jail.
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reading shit like this, makes my blood boil, i have never met or heard of so many fuckin low life losers, and all in one little town….wow, wow, , i want to throw up to.
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These people are sick and evil – they need to be in jail.You know they’ll just get another – they should be red tagged by everyone in the valley.
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I cried I cannot believe anyone would subject a small puppy to such an evil act of cruelty, it is time to get really tough on animal abusers, as far as I am concerned they should be locked up and serve a sentence, this is a dangerous person sick in the mind. she needs locking up and I do not care if the guards turn their backs either, for what this puppy suffered and the terror it felt even hard core criminals would not want her around them. Thank you to 4 amazing ladies you are wonderful, you had courage to do what you did, Vino I hope your little mind forgets the terrible ordeal you went through and that you have a happy ever after life full of love and hugs and kisses..
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Barb Shutiakand Shannon Grimshire-Ewalt, did you read the article?The owner…who hurt the dog….posted on FB that the girls had stolen her dog and described them.People on FB were threatening the girls who had saved the dog.That’s what I was talking about.
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If someone finds out the name of that waist of skin I sure hope they post it onface book. Hell, post itin the local paper.
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Why is that bitch not in the hospital. If it were me I would have tied her behind the car and do the same thing to her. For gods sakes what the f@&$ is with people . This waist of skin has kids ?Great lesson to teach her kids, how to be a monster.I sure hope charges have been made. Thank god in heaven those angles were there to resume that poor baby.
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I cannot even wrap my head around this…..why? “ya know…I am kinda lazy and well don’t really care at all about his baby animal…so lets just make it run while we drag it behind our car…here honey…you hold its leash….”Seriously…akid holding the rope…great lesson….isn’t this sort of how serial killers get started….It is true…You can’t fix stupid!Boo to you nasty villains…yaaaaa to the brave heroes…who knows what they could have faced from those psychos when they stoppedto save that pup’s life.(sorry if I sound rude…but I really don’t care!)
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I can’t believe the stories I read and some of the most wonderful people out there, helping God’s creatures.God bless you wonderful women out there, whoever you are!
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That little puppy was LUCKY THOSE PEOPLE CAME ALONG WHEN THEY DID , that driver was trying to kill that puppy, can you imagine with children in the car SHAMEFUL, DON’T EVER GIVE HER BACK THAT WEE ONEJAIL TIME FOR ABUSE TO THE LITTLE DOG AS WELL AS TO THE CHILDREN they will remember this for a long time.
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Karma will eventually be bestowed upon the person who was towing this little guy behind a vehicle, so happy to hear you ladies stepped in to rescue little Vino, he is definitely in a much happier place now.
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I am simply outraged about this story and having grown up in Oliver, which I still hold dear to my heart, I am ashamed to even think that someone from there would even do anything so cruel and intentional to an innocent animal.Even more disgusting is the fact that children were involved and witnessing suchcriminal adult behavior… This woman better watch her back because I would like to think that perhaps Social services shouldget involved with investigating the kind of home thatthese 2 young children are living in, for starters.Secondly, I also hoping that if this story turns out to be as true as the 4 kelowna women are stating, and the Vet is willing to support their story,the Oliver RCMP detachment better be pressing charges of animal cruelty.She should bepublicly named and prosecuted to the fullest extend, if found guilty.Those 4 Kelowna women are true HEROES, for feeling the fear of the moment and doing the RIGHT thing, which seems to be sadly lacking these days.
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What would the reason be to disclose the vet’s name, unless you are the “person?” who dragged the pup, or a friend of that “person”? Anyone else is simply grateful that the dog was rescued & professionally cared for.
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Thank u to the ladies who stood up for Vino! U are all heroes. What a has the world come to when some thinks this is acceptable to do to an animal and to allow young children to participate. I hope the SPCA charges her and teaches the children a lesson for participating.
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So happy there are some wonderful animal loving and caring people out there.I think the who did it should experience the same as Vino did.Where are their hearts?
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OMG – what on earth did they think they were doing, dragging the dog behind the car? Seriously – what was the excuse they gave? Thank GOD this dog was rescued before it spent its life in tortured hell.
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I think the fact that the mother had her child participate in such hideous animal cruelty should be considered grounds for removing her children from her care!
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if they were at road 22 they are locals, to oliver, some one needs to go wake this woman up… she should be drug at same speed till her feet bleed , and then her kids should get half speed just to show them how cruel they were being….
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Wow… is this the Okanagan Valley or are we living in the backwoods of Arkansas?This is disgraceful.Thank God you were there for that puppy.
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These heroes did the absolute right thing. I wish there were more like these wonderful ladies. I hope the POS that did this gets prosecuted properly by the SPCA.
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How can people be so cruel. Thank god you were there to help save this little guy. For the person that did this Karma is a Bitch and you never know when Karma will strike.
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Thank you to those ladies. We need more of them kind of people in this world. The other thing driving the other car should have the same thing done to her. So sad that kids had to see this kind of abuse.
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Seriously WTF is wrong with people! Thanks to these wonderful ladies Vino is safe, traumatized, but safe. That women should be ashamed of herself in so many way’s. What a thing to teach your child.
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It was South Valley Veterinary Hospital. They said his dew claws were ripped so badly they may need to be surgically removed depending on how they heal.
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Thank you for reporting on this! These women were heroes rescuing an innocent helpless animal! “I wasn’t going that fast’? What a crazy answer! People that would do this to one animal will do it to others… I hope charges are laid for animal abuse.
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Thank you for doing such a wonderful rescue ladies! OMG as a heeler owner myself I just cannot believe the brutality and utter stupidity of this abusive, horrible family. Thankfully he’s safe now.
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You ladies are angels. That poor guy. Shame on the original owners. I hope they are banned from ever having pets again.
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Thank you to these women for being courageous and standing up for this injustice! Too many people would would say “that’s awful and hope somebody else does something!I thank you for your courage !!
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Interesting to me how people react so violently to a FB post that only told one side of the story.I have a feeling that happens a lot.
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What a wonderful and brave thing you did. I am glad none of you were hurt by that terrible woman.
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The four of these girls are heroes, Thank you for saving this baby and giving him a home too.
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The people should be charged for inflicting such cruelty to the puppy….. how horrible!
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