BC

A badly neglected Shih Tzu named "Tiny" is alive thanks to a powerful will to survive, an observant Good Samaritan and round-the-clock care from rescuers.

Tiny was rushed to the SPCA shelter in Victoria on Aug. 2, suffering from dehydration so severe that its kidneys and other organs were shutting down.

SPCA constable Erika Paul says the 10-year-old black and white dog is severely emaciated, has horrific dental disease and was also plagued by maggot-infested abscesses on its legs and at the base of its tail.

Paul says it will be some time before Tiny is out of the woods and she praised the Good Samaritan who spotted the matted and staggering dog on a Victoria street and rushed it to a vet.

Tiny's owners have been identified and the SPCA expects charges of animal cruelty will be laid.

If convicted, the dog's owners face a fine of up to up to a $75,000, five years in jail, and a ban on owning animals.