Abandoned puppy found freezing in crate in Lake Country

LAKE COUNTRY – A woman out for a walk with her dogs in Lake Country yesterday afternoon found a shivering puppy abandoned in a crate near Wood Lake.

Lake Country resident Brittney Mathieson says she heard barking while on the rail trail and found the dog near the boat launch around 3 p.m. yesterday, Nov. 8. He was completely alone, except for a small stuffed frog.

“(The owners) left the crate door open but there was no blanket, no food, no water,” she says. “He was terrified, shivering, obviously scared to death.”

Knowing the dog, a mixed breed male around four months old, would not survive the freezing temperatures, she brought him home, gave him water and a warm place to sleep.

The next day she took him to the Kelowna SPCA.

Because of the stuffed frog he was found with, volunteers named him Kermit.

Kelowna SPCA spokesperson Kaylyn Robinson says Kermit is doing well but without a tattoo, microchip or tags, there's not much chance of finding out who left him there or why.

"We haven’t heard from any possible owners yet," she says. "It is unclear if he was intentionally abandoned."

Volunteers will bring Kermit to a Veterinary Clinic today for a full health exam.

– This story was updated at 3:45 p.m. Nov. 9 with a more accurate estimate of the dogs age based on a dental exam.

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