German shepherd badly injured after being dragged behind pickup truck

Warning: Graphic images and descriptions

An SPCA manager was “shocked” when she first saw Heidi’s injuries. The three-year-old German shepherd was tethered in the back of a pickup truck when she fell to the road and was dragged for so long her paws and lower legs were worn down to the bone.

“When I first saw the pictures of Heidi’s injuries, I was shocked,” said the B.C. SPCA’s Eileen Drever. “The physical and psychological pain that this kind of tragic event would cause is unimaginable.”

Drever said it’s illegal to travel with an unsecured pet in the back of a truck, but even putting them in the back on a tether is risky. “The best and safest way to transport dogs is always inside the vehicle, preferably with a harness made specifically for travelling in a vehicle.”

A witness to Heidi’s plight called police after finding the dog and her owner on the side of the road. Drever said the shepherd was in “critical distress” and was seized by the RCMP and rushed to a veterinary hospital.

She had emergency surgery then spent nearly a month in hospital getting round-the-clock care for bandage changes and pain management.

The SPCA is covering all costs for Heidi’s treatment, which is still ongoing.

Staff at the vet hospital and the SPCA’s Nanaimo pet shelter say Heidi is “a lovely dog, with a friendly disposition despite what she has been through.” She will be available for adoption in mid-December.

In the meantime, several donors have offered to match contributions up to $150,000 for the care of Heidi and other animals in distress. Anyone who can help is asked to go to spca.bc.ca/donations/holidays.