Young dog hurt after falling out of truck and dragged: BC SPCA

Editor’s note: This article contains details that may be upsetting to some readers

A young dog is recovering after falling out of the back of a pickup truck and being dragged.

According to the BC SPCA, Heidi, a three-and-a-half German Shepard, was tethered to the back of a truck on Vancouver Island, but somehow fell out.

The group says that the dog was dragged behind the vehicle for over 100 metres and was badly hurt.

“When I first saw the pictures of Heidi’s injuries, I was shocked. Her paws and lower leg were worn down to the bone,” Eileen Drever, senior officer protection and stakeholder relations with BC SPCA said.

“Basically, she had been trying to keep up with this vehicle and she had to give up, and it’s just horrific.”

The agency said in a news release that a witness called the RCMP, “who found the owner and Heidi on the side of the road.”

Responding officers seized the dog from its owner, where she was rushed to a veterinary hospital.

After surgery, and over three weeks of care in the hospital, Heidi was brought to the groups Nanaimo centre and is doing well.

Drever says that despite the trauma from the event, the shepherd is recovering well.

“The physical and psychological pain that this kind of tragic event would cause is unimaginable,” she said. “She’s coming around, she’s not fully healed yet. I have never seen an animal with those types of injuries ever.”

Drever says that she believes the incident is a chargeable offence, but says it is in the hands of the RCMP.

However, there is no indication that the incident was a deliberate action.

“You wouldn’t dream of allowing a child to ride in the back of a vehicle. If you have to put your dog in the back of the vehicle, it has to be in a secured crate… But really, put the animal…inside your vehicle, that would prevent it,” she said.

She says that Heidi is warming up to people, and will soon be available for adoption in mid-December.

With files from Dean Recksiedler and Maria Vinca