19 malnourished dogs seized in Albert County recovering at Moncton animal shelter
Rescued dogs are extremely thin, fearful after ordeal, Greater Moncton SPCA says
Nineteen malnourished dogs seized from an Albert County property are recovering at an animal shelter, but facing a long road back to good health.
The huskies, corgis, beagles and Dalmatian mixes were the most severely ill of the 40 dogs taken by animal protection officers with the New Brunswick SPCA, according to a statement from the organization.
"All dogs received veterinary assessment after being removed from the premises. All dogs were then transferred to temporary ... locations throughout the province, where they have been receiving follow-up care," the statement said.
The Greater Moncton SPCA said the 19 dogs it received were extremely thin when they arrived at the shelter.
"When they came in, they had a body mass index of between one and 1.5 out of five," spokesperson Todd Merrill said.
"A body mass index of one basically indicates that there's no discernible body fat and an obvious loss of muscle mass."
Mites and infections
Merrill said many of the dogs, seized on March 9 from what he called a puppy mill, had mites and ear infections, as well as intestinal parasites.
He said the dogs are now on a special diet, one that won't shock their fragile systems, and may be ready for adoption in three months. But it may take a while for the dogs to recover from their trauma and open up.
"There are a lot of them that are quite withdrawn," Merrill said.
"Some of them are just, you know, facing the corners of their cage, kind of quite fearful and apprehensive of people, which is obviously … understandable considering what they've gone through."
The outpouring of support from the community has been incredible, said Merrill, and a campaign to help pay for the dogs' medical treatment is underway.
He said while the ordeal has obviously been very hard on the dogs, it also affects the humans who care for them.
"It can be emotionally overwhelming, [especially when you're] so passionate about animals and you see dogs arrive in that condition," said Merrill.
"At the end of the day, it's also rewarding to be able to kind of play a role in the dogs' rehabilitation and adoption journey. So you kind of get a bit of both sides."
According to the New Brunswick SPCA, an investigation is underway, but no further details were released.