More than a dozen dogs were abandoned across Huron and Perth Counties on March 23 and 24, and local dog lovers are furious about it.
“This is one of the dogs that was dumped in Vanastra. She’s a pretty good puppy, so far. Very sweet, very timid, nervous of everything,” said Kelsey Leonard, who is now fostering one of the “dumped” dogs.
“It’s really sad seeing dogs dumped. They’re lovely dogs. Clearly poorly kept, though. They were in terrible condition. It’s so sad to see,” said Gina McDonnell, who saw some of the dogs being dumped.
McDonnell snapped a picture of the suspected “dog dumper” on her secluded dead end road near Benmiller, Ont. last Friday.
“My husband went out onto the road, and the car almost ran him off the road. I just happened to have my phone ready to take a picture,” said McDonnell.
In all, more than 12 different dogs were released in Mitchell, Ont., Vanastra, Ont., and Benmiller, according to local dog lovers. The same black vehicle was seen at all three drop off sites.
“I would tend to believe it’s a backyard breeder that was trying to capitalize on puppies that were popular during COVID, and now there’s no market for them. So, they got overwhelmed,” said Kathi Newell-Nicholson, who runs Adopt a Pet-Pet Rescue in Lucknow, Ont.
“I would rather someone contact us looking for help, even if it’s for food, than for anything terrible like this to happen,” she said.
One of the dogs recovered near Vanastra, Ont. on March 24, 2023. (Source: Lori Gautcher)
Locals have caught seven of the 13 or 14 dogs that were dumped last week, said Newell-Nicholson. She’s imploring those licensing puppy mills and breeders to stop licensing, because there’s already so many unwanted dogs, and for families to stop buying dogs from puppy mills to stop the demand.
“It’s honestly an epidemic. The amount of animals we’re being asked to take from puppy mills and breeders that are overwhelmed, and don’t want to keep them, is in the double digits over the past couple months. An absolutely crazy amount of puppies are coming in,” she said.
While the OPP and local animal control officers have been contacted, dog lovers are frustrated that this could happen again without finding the owner of the mysterious black vehicle, and that it’s no one’s responsibility to help find these dogs that are still on the loose.
“I find it very frustrating that we’re getting the run around, it feels like, from different areas. It speaks to the problem, that we have to start at the source, to get this problem stopped,” said Newell-Nicholson.
Newell-Nicholson said if you do encounter one of dogs still on the loose, it’s best not to chase them, because they’ll be scared and will want to run.
You can reach out to her at petrescue@hurontel.on.ca for who best to contact.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan said Monday that Canada's spy agency has confirmed her long-held belief she is being targeted by the Chinese government, as the prime minister granted the NDP's wish to allow more party members to review top-secret intelligence.
William Karlsson, William Carrier and Jonathan Marchessault are finally getting another chance in the Stanley Cup Final, after the first one that came so quick for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help the eighth-seeded Miami Heat beat the Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 on Monday night and advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.
Canadian political leaders and parliamentarians are denouncing a new law passed in Uganda that imposes harsh penalties, including the death penalty, for certain cases involving homosexuality.
There's a heightened risk of wildfires across the country during what has been one of the earliest fire seasons on record. From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, here's where the risk is highest.
New research from Penn State University found certain factors can contribute to reducing what’s known as the 'urban heat island' effect, and that climate knowledge can contribute to better city planning and design.
The rural Oxford County intersection where an OPP officer and a school bus driver were killed Monday was less than a month away from becoming a four-way stop when the deadly crash happened.
It was a night of indecision at Waterloo region's catholic school board as trustees went back and forth trying to find the best approach to fill a vacant seat.
Windsor city council voted Monday in favour of adopting a master plan with high hopes for City Hall Square and a so-called civic esplanade stretching down to the river
A united front was on full display Monday as community leaders, politicians, business people, unions and educators gathered together at Windsor City Hall to ensure the NextStar Energy battery plant deal gets closed.
Doctors in their final year of training, called residency, can choose to do a one-month rotation at the Shelter Health Initiative (SHI) caring for Windsor’s homeless population.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
It's the end of an era for one sporting goods store at Bank Street and Laurier Avenue. The owner says a lack of foot traffic downtown is behind the decision to close a store that's been operating for 41 years.
The Sandy Hill Child Care Centre has an extra two weeks to get its new home up to code months after a fire destroyed its original site on Wilbrod Street.
The union representing the majority of Quebec's daycare workers is criticizing the government's decision to launch a skimpy 90-hour training program for people who want to be daycare workers but have no prior experience.
A Quebec driver who caused the death of another motorist when he swerved his truck to avoid hitting a family of ducks on the road has been sentenced to eight months in jail and a three-year driving ban.
A Winnipeg family is asking for help to find their missing teenage son whom they haven't seen since he left for school in the Fort Richmond area last Wednesday morning.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
One long-time electoral tradition came to an end on election day, when Postmedia announced there would be no printed newspaper announcing the winner in Calgary.
Over 170,000 elementary and high school students weighed in on the Alberta election and the NDP had to hope the real voters were listening, because they won the kids' vote.
On Monday, Fraser Health provided two senior leaders to address the latest letter outlining risks to patients, allegations of muzzling, and pleas for help from emergency physicians in the health authority's hospitals.
The president of the BC Trucking Association is issuing renewed calls for safety after a trailer truck smashed into an overhead pass Monday morning in Langley.
One of the dogs recovered near Vanastra, Ont. on March 24, 2023. (Source: Lori Gautcher)
