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Mountain biker stumbled upon dying dachshund on Postill Lake Road last month

Dying dachshund rescued

A mountain biker stumbled upon a dying dog off Postil Road last month. But the dachshund is now on his way to make a full recovery.

The BC SPCA says the small dog, who's since been named Wilfred, was found in March down an embankment off Postill Lake Road, by a man who was driving out to the biking trails in the area.

“As he was unloading his bike from his truck, he noticed a light reflecting off something down the embankment,” the SPCA said in a press release.

“He went to check it out and noticed a pet carrier. He assumed it was empty but wanted to double-check. Thankfully, he did. Inside was an emaciated dachshund covered in feces and urine whose collar had been looped through the door of the carrier, severely restricting his movement.”

Shannon Paille, manager of the BC SPCA’s Kelowna animal centre, said it appeared Wilfred had been stranded in the woods for “quite some time,” and she's not sure how much longer he would have survived in the cold and wet conditions.

“It really is a miracle the dog was found. The Good Samaritan shared with me that he usually rides much further up the mountain than where he stopped and doesn’t know why he chose to stop there,” said Paille.

The man and his partner rushed Wilfred to an emergency vet clinic. He was emaciated, dehydrated, anemic and had a puncture through his upper lip as well as scars on his nose. After he had stabilized, the clinic released him to the care of the SPCA and he's been recovering in a SPCA foster home for about three weeks.

The SPCA has been trying to find Wilfred's owner, but while they found a microchip in him, it wasn't registered. The SPCA posted a photo of Wilfred on their Facebook page looking for his owner back on April 11, but no one has come forward.

Paille says Wilfred's “charming personality” has started to show more and more as he recovers, and staff at the SPCA have “all fallen in love with this little fighter.” Paille thinks he's about two years old.

“He is wearing a sweater right now to limit his discomfort and help him stay warm while he gains weight,” says Paille, adding that he's slowly gotten his "sparkle" back in his eyes.

“They were so scared when they brought him to the vet clinic. His eyes were so sad. He looked like he had lost hope.”

Wilfred remains on a re-feeding plan under veterinary supervision for the near future, but Paille hopes he may be ready for adoption sometime in the next month. Those interested can keep an eye on the SPCA website, where Wilfred will be posted when he's ready.

Paille notes that Petsecure Pet Health Insurance are matching up to $3,500 in donations for Wilfred's care. Those interested in donating can do so here.



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