'Used and abused': BC SPCA seizes 59 dogs from abusive breeder in Quesnel

The BC SPCA rescued 59 dogs and puppies from an abusive breeder in Quesnel. Animal protection officers found 12 chihuahuas, four French bulldogs, 43 Cane Corsos and 14 birds in horrible condition. There were 18 Cane Corsos puppies born within the last month, according to a press release from the BC SPCA. “When officers arrived at the home, they were hit with an overwhelming ammonia odour which burned their noses. The ground was littered with garbage, urine and old feces was stuck to the floor, dogs had access to injurious objects as well as medications,” BC SPCA’s senior protection officer Eileen Drever said in the release. “In the main area of the home, there were large portions of drywall that had been chewed through around an electrical socket.” A lot of the animals were in bad shape, including nursing moms who were extremely thin with their ribs clearly visible. “The dogs are extremely fearful and under socialized. Some of the puppies were observed shivering in the yard and hiding behind a ripped-up couch amongst pieces of foam from other furniture, feces, urine and dirty straw. One of the dogs would only approach our officer for food and then would run away cowering in fear,” Drever said.     A litter of puppies had castration bands meant for docking their tails, and a veterinarian confirmed they were in severe pain with spinal cord injury, nerve exposure and infection. READ MORE: iN PHOTOS: Cute pets dressed up for the holiday season in Kamloops, Okanagan https://infotel.ca/newsitem/in-photos-cute-pets-dressed-up-for-the-holiday-season-in-kamloops-okanagan/it107376 Docking tails for cosmetic purposes has been banned by the College of Veterinarians of BC since 2016 since the procedures cause unnecessary pain and suffering. The 14 birds were also living in unsanitary conditions. Some of the birds were loose in the home with dogs, and some birds were missing a significant amount of feathers due to illness or emotional distress. “It’s just horrible to think about how long these animals have suffered, without love and proper care. They were all used and abused all to make money,” Drever said. The animals who needed care were taken to a veterinarian for treatment. Since there is a large number of animals they will be taken to BC SPCA centres around the province. There is an ongoing investigation, and BC SPCA will be recommending charges. The animals aren’t ready for adoption at this time. Click here for more information and to donate to BC SPCA. https://spca.bc.ca/news/bc-spca-rescues-59-dogs-and-puppies-from-irresponsible-breeder-in-quesnel/ To contact a reporter for this story, email Jesse Tomas mailto:jtomas@infonews.ca  or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. Find our Journalism Ethics policy here. https://infotel.ca/newsitem/code-of-ethics/it106782 We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .