The BC SPCA is asking for the public’s help in identifying a deceased dog that was found muzzled and tightly tethered to a tree in a remote location south of Penticton.
On Nov. 21, the non-profit’s animal helpline received a call from a grandfather and granddaughter who came upon what appeared to be a German Shepherd, tied up in ropes with a navy blue and black harness on McIntyre Creek Road near Vaseaux Lake.
The levels of decomposition made it impossible to determine the sex of the dog, the BC SPCA said in a news release on Nov. 28.
There were also no signs of obvious injuries or trauma, and a necropsy will be performed to determine the cause of death, it added.
“This was a thick rope used to tie the dog up, and it was given less than two feet of length,” said Matt Affleck, region manager of cruelty investigations at the SPCA. “It’s clear from the tightness of the knot just how hard the dog struggled to get free. It was pulled completely taut.”
Anyone who believes they have relevant information about the identity of the dog and/or its owner is asked to call the BC SPCA Animal Helpline at 1-855-622-7722. The line is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week.
In its release, the B.C.-wide society described the Penticton cruelty case as “alarming.”
“It’s awful to think about the dog’s last moments and the panic of being left alone in the woods to die in this way,” Affleck added.
More than 7,600 animal cruelty investigations were conducted by the BC SPCA in 2024.
“The level of suffering this poor animal had to go through is something no creature should have to endure,” Affleck said about the Penticton-area incident. “We’re conscious that we don’t yet have all the information about how the dog ended up here, but the use of a basket muzzle and such a tight tether with a thick rope is concerning. Especially while wearing a muzzle like this one, there was no chance this poor dog could chew itself free.”