Every animal deserves a home filled with love, care and kindness, but it’s particularly special to see a severely neglected animal blossom in a safe environment for the first time.
Pixie, a little poodle-mix, was found chained outside in the snow with no shelter in sight. She was extremely matted and unable to put weight on one of her back legs. It was a heartbreaking scene and one that needed quick action. Thankfully, the generosity of kind animal lovers makes the BC SPCA Animal Protection Services work possible, and Pixie was brought to safety by one of our officers. That was the moment her life completely changed, and now this sweet girl has stolen the hearts of her new family who are smitten.
She’s unrecognisable from the dog who arrived into our care!
As she starts her next chapter, this girl has been lovingly renamed Trixie. It marks the beginning of her new life but is similar enough not to confuse her after all the change she’s experienced. We caught up with her devoted new parents who are as in love with Trixie as she is them!
Her new mum, Helen, shared: “We lost our dog back in May last year. He was a little Schnauzer who was 19 years old, and it was his time. We weren’t sure if we were ready for another dog, but when we saw Trixie’s story and the call out for fosters, it got us thinking. It was actually my granddaughter who sent me a picture of her and told me: “She’s waiting for you”. My husband and I went in to meet Trixie, and we ended up taking her right home with us!”
“That very first day, she walked right into our hearts, and we knew we had to give her a permanent home. She’s the best little thing that could ever have happened to our family, and I believe our other dog sent her to us. He just must have,” Helen gushed. “What’s amazing is how happy she was from the start. It’s as if she doesn’t know she had a bad past. Trixie is the happiest dog in the world.”
Despite everything she has lived through, Trixie has plenty of love to share with the people around her. It’s truly amazing considering she likely spent much of her time alone before. Helen told us, “She has lots of friends in the neighborhood. Everyone she meets, she loves and she’s always looking for pets. She’s a little charmer. That’s what we love most about her – how cuddly and loving she is. She just wants to be on you all the time. She’ll sit on my lap all evening as we watch TV, and I love that part.”
When Trixie isn’t snoozing close with her humans or charming the neighbourhood, she can be found playing with her toys. “Every morning, she wants me to throw them for her” Helen told us. “I told her: only five throws before a break or we’ll be there all day! But she understands and she’s happy chewing and playing by herself. She particularly loves one of her squeaky toys. That one came with her from the BC SPCA and she’s never without it. If she forgets to bring it upstairs, she runs down to grab it. It’s fun and she definitely keeps us busy!” Helen also mentioned that many of the toys were her previous dog’s and it’s nice to see them being enjoyed again.
Trixie’s back leg was beyond repair and the decision was made to remove it to give her the best chance of a pain-free future. There was no stopping her after her surgery, and she’s managing extremely well as a tripod! Helen mentioned, “The only change since her surgery was Trixie struggling to hop up onto the couch on her own. We found some steps that make it a bit easier for her to climb up. Other than that, she’s doing really well. It really surprised me how little it’s impacted her.”
There is no doubt that Trixie has found her perfect family. Her heart is full and so are those of her new parents. “She brings us such joy and a lot of laughter. She’s just one of those dogs where it’s impossible not to love them” Helen shared.
As they start the New Year together, Trixie, Helen and her husband have lots to look forward to together. The compassion of kind people like you make happy stories like this possible. One more life saved, one more family complete!
Severely matted poodle mix, found chained outside in snow, rescued by BC SPCA
Original story: December 2, 2025
On November 18 while responding to concerns of animal cruelty, a BC SPCA animal protection officer found a heartbreaking sight. A heavily matted dog was lying in the snow, no shelter in sight on a remote property east of Prince Rupert. The dog, a seven-year-old poodle mix was almost unrecognizable. She was shivering in the cold and unable to put any weight on her left rear leg. After discussing the dog’s condition with her owner, she was surrendered to the BC SPCA.
“The snow around the dog had turned brown because of how dirty her fur was,” says Alex Schare, regional manager, animal protection services, North region. “It was obvious that her basic needs had not been met in quite some time. We don’t know when the last time she saw a groomer was, but it had clearly not been for a very long time.”
The dog, now named Pixie, was brought to the BC SPCA Prince Rupert and was immediately seen by a veterinarian. “Pixie had to be sedated to remove all her matted fur,” says Kristy Maier, manager, BC SPCA Prince Rupert. “It was so bad, it took two hours and to carefully remove it all. Her fur was full of dirt, feces, and urine. I honestly can’t imagine how uncomfortable she was wearing all that filth.”
While she was at the veterinary clinic, Pixie’s left leg was x-rayed to determine why she was non weight bearing. “The x-rays showed she had no tendons above the knee, due to an old injury to the leg that did not heal properly,” says Maier. “Below her knee was a very painful callus. That is probably where she bears her weight at times.” Pixie will require surgery to remove the leg.
Pixie spent a lot of time alone in her previous life, which might have made a different dog very fearful of people, but not this little one. “Pixie was friendly from the moment she arrived at the animal centre,” says Maier. “She loves people, and all the attention she has been getting. She wants to be with our staff all the time, demanding snuggles,” says Maier. “Pixie even kept falling asleep in the purse of one of our staff members. It was the cutest thing!”
Pixie is currently in the care of a BC SPCA foster. She will need time to recover, and we are hoping she will be available for adoption in mid-December.
The BC SPCA will be recommending animal cruelty charges to Crown Counsel.
Hill’s Pet Nutrition have generously offered to match every caring donation up to $100,000 on Giving Tuesday.
Thanks to the kind generosity of animal lovers across B.C., all the match funds from Hill’s Pet Nutrition have been secured! Thank you for supporting Pixie and other animals like her.