As police investigate a suspected case of animal cruelty, an outpouring of sympathy from the public has ensured that 26 Huskies found barely alive at a Quebec kennel have more than enough food to help them recover.
Kennel operator Guy Racicot was among a group of people who found 19 dead huskies and 26 others clinging to life at a competitor's kennel northeast of Montreal earlier in the week. One of the dogs later died; and in a bid to save the others, Racicot made a plea for help.
On Friday, Racicot told CTV Montreal that since the disturbing story aired Thursday evening, he has been overwhelmed with calls from across Canada and around the world from people offering money and food for the animals.
"Donations from Alberta to Sweden -- everywhere across Canada, North America, the United States -- they've sent food, truckloads of food," Racicot said Friday.
"We had a shipping company that told us they'd pick up the food that the company has donated in Ontario, and they'd be sending us six pallets of food every month for at least a year."
Racicot estimated it would cost between $5,000 and $6,000 to get the dogs -- still grossly underweight and weak -- back into shape. On Friday, he said he has collected well above that sum, and he is even considering opening an animal rescue centre with his partner.
"We're looking into it, and we'll continue doing the same thing we did here -- but hopefully not on such a big scale. I don't want to find 26 dogs like this again."
Investigation
Meanwhile, police said Friday they have so far been unable to locate the owner of the premises where the huskies were discovered.
On Friday afternoon police were waiting for a veterinarian to arrive at the premises to certify that the dogs were indeed abused, so they could obtain a warrant to proceed with their investigation and track the owner down.
"That was one of the sticking points," said CTV Montreal reporter Cindy Sherwin. "(Racicot) was not able to get a veterinarian" on Thursday despite the fact he claimed to have called dozens of them.
The Montreal branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it has witnessed similar cases in the past.
SPCA spokesman Pierre Barnoti said it's not unusual for sleigh-dog owners to mistreat their dogs during the summer months, when they represent little value to the business.
"We've had other cases before, and we have seized before, sleigh dogs who during the winter generate income and during the summer don't generate any income," Barnoti told Montreal radio station CJAD.
"The operator will often leave them in a totally neglected condition," he said.
Racicot, meanwhile, hopes that in three months the dogs will be healthy enough to be adopted and placed in good homes.
With a report from CTV Montreal's Cindy Sherwin
