After a not-so-happy start to life, Willow is getting a second chance for her happily ever after with a new adoptive family today.
The Siberian husky mix, found severely emaciated earlier this year wandering in Maple Ridge, with nothing but gravel in her stomach, has come a long way since she first came into BC SPCA care on Jan. 31. Estimated to be between one and two years old, Willow weighed only 15 kilograms when found, compared to a normal weight of about 24 kg for a dog of her age and size.
“Willow is doing incredibly well – she’s gained more than nine kilograms since coming into BC SPCA care,” says Maple Ridge SPCA assistant branch manager Faydra Nichols. “She’s a completely different dog – much stronger, much more interested in the people – and animals – around her, and she loves to run and go for car rides and long walks by the river. She absolutely loves going into the water – it’s hard to keep her out!”
The BC SPCA’s Cruelty Investigations Department identified Willow’s former owner, a Coquitlam resident and university student in his 20s, in February, and has recommended animal cruelty charges under both the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Criminal Code of Canada.
A long list of eager new potential pet guardians quickly grew, as Willow was featured in numerous media reports, with many people willing and wanting to give this sweet and gentle girl a new, loving home.
“We are so grateful to the many, many applicants who applied to give this darling girl a new and better home, including the Good Samaritan who found her and brought her to the SPCA,” Nichols says. “Because of her past, she has a number of behaviours that will need continued work by someone with breed experience. We were fortunate enough to find a family who has experience with this breed and they’re so happy to include Willow as a new, furry family member.”
Most recent photos courtesy of Mane Frame Photography.
The British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a not-for-profit organization reliant on public donations. Our mission is to protect and enhance the quality of life for domestic, farm and wild animals in B.C.