Unspeakably Heartless Oafs

It's hard to believe that anyone in their right senses would deliberately create such a situation. The Outaouais SPCA workers discovered a dreadful occurrence when they found a boxer-mix female with her puppies in the back of a pickup truck behind their shelter early on Sunday. Someone had deposited the pregnant dog there, leaving her to deliver her pups and leaving her to die, in the miserably icy weather, unprotected and abandoned.

Nala, as the female dog was named by the SPCA workers, managed to survive her ordeal, along with five of her puppies. Four of the newborn puppies were found dead from exposure. It was estimated that Nala and her puppies were left in that truck for up to ten hours before they were discovered. It was clear on inspection that Nala had been neglected; underfed and thin, her nails allowed to grow uncommonly long.

Her vulva, having been exposed to the frozen metal of the pickup truck was injured. And she suffered frostbite on her upper lip. The puppies have red patches visible on their skin, as evidence of frostbite. They are all expected to recover. People are understandably upset and outraged that anyone could possibly be so heartless as to expose these beautiful creatures to dread weather conditions that no animal should be left in to fend for itself.

Nala and her puppies have been taken in by the Valley Boxer and Mastiff Rescue home, operated by France Turcotte. "I'm not angry about all this. But really, truly how I feel about this is I feel bad that (the owner) felt that was the only option available to him or her ... A dog is just not something you can throw out or throw in the back of a truck. People need to understand that a pet is a member of your family and they require money and care."

Nala, a boxer-mix, and five of her newborn litter of nine pups were recovering on Monday after the dog was abandoned in the back of a pickup truck behind the Outaouais SPCA overnight Saturday night. Four pups froze to death before they were found by SPCA staff on Sunday morning.

Pet ownership is a commitment, a responsibility. How people can view the safety and security and well-being of an animal in their care with such a pitiless lack of concern is beyond intelligence. How anyone could conceivably be oblivious to the potential fate of a dependent, vulnerable animal, particularly a female about to give birth, and abandon her at her time of need is beyond belief.

For the next six weeks the puppies will remain in the care of France Turcotte, a caring and responsible individual whose volunteerism in the rescue of unwanted and neglected animals should serve as an inspiration to those who love animals. When they are ready to be weaned from their mother they will be returned to the Outaouais SPCA and put up for adoption.

One can only hope that Nala and her puppies will be taken in by people prepared to appreciate and nurture them, providing them with the affection and material needs that trusting animals require from those who sincerely propose to make them members of their families.