Seventeen neglected dogs that had heavily matted fur covered in urine and feces are recovering after being seized from a breeder in Duncan.
“All of them required extensive dental work,” said Sandi Trent, manager of the SPCA’s Cowichan & District Branch.
Due to a space shortage, some of the dogs, aged from one to about nine, were sent to other branches, with the two largest — Caucasian shepherds — going to the Nanaimo SPCA for treatment, she said.
The rest are silky terriers.
“We had 15 brought in here and since transferred out four to Comox,” Trent said.
All 17 have been groomed and will also be spayed and neutered.
“They were pretty uncomfortable and pretty unhappy, so once they were cleaned up, it was like a new lease on life for most of them.”
The breeder decided to sign the dogs over to the SPCA after an investigation generated by a public complaint, Trent said, and has since agreed not to own any more animals.
Trent said the public generates about 99 per cent of such complaints.
She said the case underscores the importance of proposed legislation regarding breeders, “so that [they] will be licensed and we’ll be able to follow up and ensure that this kind of thing doesn’t happen.”
