Manitoba

Have you seen this dog? Manitoba dog rescue looking for missing pregnant pooch

A Manitoba dog rescue is asking for help to track down a pregnant canine escape artist named Sunshine.

Sunshine went missing from her foster home in Stonewall on March 1

Sunshine went missing from her foster home in Stonewall, Man., on March 1. (Submitted)

A Manitoba dog rescue is asking for help to track down a pregnant, canine escape artist named Sunshine.

The one-year-old yellow Labrador retriever ran away from her foster home in Stonewall, Man., on March 1, said Manitoba Underdogs executive director Jessica Hansen.

"She's also pretty close to having to give birth to puppies, so we're worried that she's going to do that in the middle of nowhere. And she's going to be exhausted, she's already been running for four days with no real food," Hansen said.

She has heartworm disease, which Hansen said can be fatal in dogs if not treated.

And she slipped out of her collar the last time she was seen, so she no longer has ID on her, according to a Facebook post in the group. 

"There's a storm coming tomorrow and we don't know if she's going to try and cross the ice to get back to [her home in] Sagkeeng First Nation, or she's going to wind up getting hit by a car in her travels, so we just really need to figure out if she's safe or not."

Sunshine is set to deliver puppies in the next two weeks and needs treatment for heartworm disease, Hansen says. (Submitted)

Since making a break for it, Sunshine made her way as far as Breezy Point Road near Selkirk, Man., more than 30 kilometres away from her foster home, but was most recently spotted around 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning on a road near Balmoral, Man.

Sunshine might be headed for her old home in Sagkeeng First Nation, but Hansen said they can't be sure.

Hansen said the soon-to-be mom is "very, very friendly" with people, but prefers women. But since Sunshine is in "flight mode," Hansen said she shouldn't be approached and won't respond to her name.

Instead, if you spot her, Hansen said you should lure her into an enclosed area with smelly food like meat or cheese and call her foster dad, John Savage, at 204-461-2672.