B.C. dog loses leg after being thrown from moving truck

Reprinted from Kamloops Matters / Glacier Media

The BC SPCA is warning dog owners about the dangers of travelling with your furry friend unsecured in pickup trucks after a seven-month-old German shepherd lost a leg in Williams Lake.

Chilli suffered horrific injuries from falling out of the back of a truck and was surrendered to the SPCA.

The dog was immediately rushed to the vet with a front leg torn at the shoulder.

The muscles from Chilli's chest to shoulder were severed and the dog had numerous severed arteries.

“Chilli had such deep wounds all along her leg that the limb was beyond repair and she required an emergency amputation to save her life,” says Williams Lake SPCA manager Liz Dighton.

It is illegal to transport an unsecured pet in the back of a pickup under Section 72 of the B.C. Motor Vehicle Act and Section 9.3 of the B.C. Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

If a pet must be transported in the back of a truck, the safest method is to keep them inside a secured crate in the centre of the truck box.

Chilli’s emergency amputation surgery, follow up examinations, physiotherapy and daily care is expected to reach $4,230.

She will need at least three weeks in SPCA care before she is ready to be adopted.

“This young lady is super friendly and sweet,” says Dighton. “She enjoys cuddles and is so careful to be gentle when around people. We really hope that people are able to donate towards her emergency surgery.”

If you can help this puppy and other animals in need, visit spca.bc.ca/medicalemergency.