Two dogs dumped on side of the road near Kelowna

They've been dubbed Ben and Jerry. Two dogs found abandoned in the Joe Rich area of the Central Okanagan during the height of the most recent cold snap.

Ben was in rough shape. Broken jaw, broken teeth — he had obviously been in a scrap – maybe with Jerry, fighting for food. But there's one thing that was obvious – Ben and Jerry had been abandoned.

"He's (Ben) been in a dog fight. At least one. His jaw as well as some fractured or broken teeth," said Arlene Dunstan-Adams of Critteraid – an animal sanctuary based in Summerland.

Dunstan-Adams said abandonment happens all the time. And Ben and Jerry are no exceptions.

"They could have been dumped in that area and wandered around before they found people. I believe they were most likely left up there in the state that they were in. Somebody knows and instead of reaching out, they just dumped them," Dunstan-Adams said.

"I see at least 10 cases that are dumped per year. All of them are abandoned at some point."

Dunstan-Adams said the outpouring from animal lovers has been humbling.

"We've had food, blankets and sweaters donated to Ben already. It's amazing. It's going to take time before he's ready for adoption. But I just want people to know that he's not the only one out there." 

To contact a reporter for this story, email Kelly Hayes or call 250-864-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.