The Greater Victoria BCSPCA is saying a dog seen on the Tsawout First Nation near Central Saanich was not abused.
A photo of the dog, with a rope cinched around its waist and standing in a ditch filled with dirty water, circulated on social media. When they got word of the incident, the BCSPCA called the RCMP to investigate.
Erika Paul, a senior animal protection officer with the Victoria BCSPCA, says after police took the dog back to its owners, they investigated the condition of the animal.
“The owners explained that the dog had gotten out of its harness,” she said, noting the dog appears to have wandered and gotten caught in a 10-foot piece of nylon strapping that was attached to a concrete block.
“We saw the dog,” she continued. “There was some chafing. We followed up with the vet for a general wellness exam.”
Paul said the dog was found to be well, but skinny.
“We do not believe it to be abuse, based on the information we received.”
Paul said its was good that people were concerned for the safety of the dog and alerted others through social media.
She did caution people, however, to not jump to conclusions about a situation and to allow officials like the RCMP or BCSPCA time to determine an animal’s condition.