British Columbia

Mother dog and her 9 puppies abandoned at B.C. garbage dump

A mother dog and her puppies were found abandoned inside a sealed box at the Puntzi Lake Landfill on June 5.

B.C. SPCA asking public to help locate person who dumped them

Casey is approximately a year old and is believed to be a border collie, husky mix. Her five male and four female puppies are about a week old. (BC SPCA)

A mother dog and her puppies were found abandoned at the Puntzi Lake Landfill inside a sealed box on June 5.

The B.C. SPCA is asking the public to help find the owner who left them.

"It is against the law to abandon an animal," said Lorie Chortyk, SPCA's general manager of communications.

"So, at this point, we are just looking for information, but certainly if we identify the person who had done this, we would be looking at animal cruelty charges."

The canine family stayed overnight at a local veterinary clinic before being transferred to the Quesnel and District SPCA the next morning.

Casey — the name given to the mother by the SPCA — is approximately a year old and is believed to be a border collie/husky mix. She has five male and four female puppies that are about one week old.

The family is currently in foster care and will be looked after for approximately seven more weeks until the puppies are old enough to leave their mother.

After those weeks, all the animals will be available for adoption.

This canine family of a mother and her nine newborn puppies was found inside a sealed box June 5, at the Puntzi Lake Landfill. (B.C. SPCA)

"Unfortunately, it would have been so easy for those animals to suffocate and die if someone hadn't happened upon them," said Chortyk.

"The SPCA is really looking for any information anyone might have if they recognize the mother dog to help us track down who might own this dog and who might have left them there."

Anyone with information is asked to call the B.C. SPCA's toll free hotline at 1-855-622-7722.