'I was shocked': BC SPCA reminds owners to secure pets in vehicles after dog dragged behind pickup
Veterinarians on Vancouver Island are warning dog-owners to always secure their pets inside a vehicle when transporting them after a dog fell out of the back of a pickup truck and was dragged behind the vehicle by her tether.
Heidi, a three-year-old German shepherd, is now in the care of the BC SPCA in Nanaimo, B.C., after she was found severely injured on the side of the road.
"When I first saw the pictures of Heidi’s injuries, I was shocked," said Eileen Drever, the BC SPCA’s senior officer for protection and stakeholder relations, in a release Tuesday.
"Her paws and lower leg were worn down to the bone. The physical and psychological pain that this kind of tragic event would cause is unimaginable."
A witness to the dragging incident alerted the RCMP, who found Heidi and her owner on the side of the road, the BC SPCA said.
The animal protection group says Heidi was in critical medical distress and was seized by the RCMP and rushed to a veterinary hospital for emergency surgery.
Three and a half weeks of intensive round-the-clock treatment later, Heidi is expected to recover and will likely be available for adoption in mid-December.
The veterinary staff describe Heidi as a lovely dog, with a friendly disposition despite what she has been through.
"Transport of an unsecured pet in the back of a pickup is illegal, but as Heidi’s case shows, even tethered transport poses serious risks," Drever said.
"The best and safest way to transport dogs is always inside the vehicle, preferably with a harness made specifically for travelling in a vehicle."
The BC SPCA is covering all of the costs of Heidi’s treatment. Anyone wishing to donate to help cover her care and that of other animals in B.C. can do so anytime on the BC SPCA website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
W5 EXCLUSIVE | Interviewing a narco hitman: my journey into Mexico's cartel heartland
W5 goes deep into the narco heartland to interview a commander with one of Mexico's most brutal cartels. W5's documentary 'Narco Avocados' airs Saturday at 7 pm on CTV.

Tyre Nichols' brutal beating by police shown on video
Memphis authorities released video footage Friday showing Tyre Nichols being beaten by police officers who held the Black motorist down and repeatedly struck him with their fists, boots and batons as he screamed for his mother and pleaded, ''I'm just trying to go home.'
OPINION | Selling a home? How to know if you qualify for a capital gains exemption
When selling a home, Canadians may be exempted from paying capital gains tax on a residential property -- if it's their principal residence. On CTVNews.ca, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew explains what's determined as a principal residence, and what properties are eligible for the exemption.
Aryna Sabalenka beats Elena Rybakina for Australian Open women's title
Aryna Sabalenka, a 24-year-old from Belarus, who won her first Grand Slam title by coming back to beat Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 at Melbourne Park on Saturday night, using 17 aces among her 51 total winners to overcome seven double-faults.
Inflation-focused Pierre Poilievre back to Parliament as health-care talks loom
With a deal under negotiation between Ottawa and provinces, and premiers invited to a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in early February, the issue remains one where the Tory leader's position appears somewhat murky, including to some inside his own party.
Palestinian gunman kills 7 near Jerusalem synagogue
A Palestinian gunman opened fire outside an east Jerusalem synagogue Friday night, killing seven people, including a 70-year-old woman, and wounding three others before he was shot and killed by police, officials said.
CRA head says it 'wouldn't be worth the effort' to review all ineligible pandemic payments
The head of the Canada Revenue Agency says it 'wouldn't be worth the effort' to fully review $15.5 billion in potentially ineligible pandemic wage benefit payments flagged by Canada's Auditor General.
Lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan fulfils dream of seeing first game, passes away next day
Mike Davy always dreamed of going to a Toronto Maple Leafs game, and once it finally happened, he passed away the night after.
How to fix a howitzer: U.S. offers help line to Ukraine troops
Using phones and tablets to communicate in encrypted chatrooms, a rapidly growing group of U.S. and allied troops and contractors are providing real-time maintenance advice -- usually speaking through interpreters -- to Ukrainian troops on the battlefield.