Dog discovered injured in Vancouver trash bin recovering from successful surgery
Posted April 10, 2025 9:37 am.
An injured dog, found allegedly dumped inside a garbage bin at a Vancouver park near UBC last week, is recovering after surgery.
The poor pup was found by a passerby in a public, wildlife-proof garbage bin along a trail in Pacific Spirit Regional Park.
‘Oscar,’ newly named after the trash-can-dwelling Oscar the Grouch of Sesame Street, is now being looked after by local dog rescuer Laurie Schildt and receiving care from a veterinarian.
Before he was discovered, Oscar suffered traumatic injuries, including a dislocated hip, multiple fractures, and neurological damage. The cause of the injuries is still unknown.
Dr. Michael King, a surgeon with Canada West Veterinary Specialists, says Oscar would have been pretty uncomfortable by the time he was found.
“With the rib fractures being there as well, it indicated whatever happened to him brought a bit of a blow to him, so probably a lot of bruising and discomfort even with breathing for him at times,” King added.
Oscar is now recovering after a successful surgery Tuesday that involved removing a hip joint, which will fill in with scar tissue, and a more complicated procedure tackling what’s called a comminuted fracture.
Doctors anticipate Oscar will make a full recovery in roughly six to eight weeks. King says the most tragic part of the dog’s story is the circumstances of how he was found.
“We do see this from time to time where dogs are found in situations like this, which is always pretty heartbreaking. Though, really, really nice to see when they can come back from it,” he said.
The RCMP and BC SPCA are still searching for the poodle-mix’s original owner.
Schildt says Oscar did have a chip, but it wasn’t registered.
“So we have no way of tracking it — there was no name attached to it — but he did have one.”
—With files from Jack Morse
