Fundraiser launched for 'starving' dogs found on remote B.C. island
Fish farm workers on northern Vancouver Island are trying to unravel a mystery surrounding a pair of abandoned dogs found on a remote island.
The dogs were first spotted at the end of December by fish farm workers boating past Minstrel Island, east of Port McNeill.
It was an unusual place for the dogs to be, and at first the workers thought they were wolves.
"Once they realized they were dogs, they were all such amazing humans, they went and tried to rescue these dogs," said Jill Laviolette with the Tri-Port Wildlife Response Team.
"It took quite a few hours and it was an ordeal," she said.
Once the dogs were secured, the workers brought them to Port Hardy where they underwent medical treatment.
They're now being fostered by Laviolette.
"They were in rough shape," she told CTV News. "I don't know how much longer they would have lasted out there."
"They were starving, they were so skinny. Their skin was just kind of hanging off them," she said.
Laviolette says the dogs were initially untrusting of people, but they've since warmed up.
"They're big boys but just such loving, caring, fluffy animals," she said. "Gosh they're great."
An online fundraiser recently launched to pay for the pair's medical expenses and to help find new homes for the dogs, which are believed to be mixed-breed brothers a little over one year old.
"[Jill's] been fostering them and putting out her own money to take care of them. It's a big toll," said Shannon Briggs, the person who launched the fundraiser.
Research has been done to trace back who the original owner of the dogs was, and Laviolette considers this to be a case of neglect or abuse.
She says the SPCA has been informed.
For now though, the focus is on getting the dogs to their forever homes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.