Starved Siberian Husky Finds Forever Home After Eating Stones And Sticks To Survive
Willow was barely hanging on when two drivers spotted her on the side of a road in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, in January 2015. The Siberian Husky looked so weak that they first had to figure out whether she was even a dog.
Mathieu Letourneau and Guillaume Lefevre stopped, gave her part of their Subway sandwich, and drove her to the BC SPCA, where veterinarians found a heartbreaking reason for her condition. Willow had been eating rocks, sticks, and dirt just to stay alive, and at 2 years old she weighed only 33 lbs, far below a healthy Husky's weight.
What happened next turned a rescue into a real second chance, and Willow's recovery turned out to be just as remarkable as her survival.
On a scale of 1 to 9 on the Canine Body Conditioning Scale, sweet Willow scored just 1 after her assessment.
BC SPCA senior animal protection officer Eileen says she wholeheartedly believes that Willow would have been dead within 24 hours if Mathieu and Guillaume hadn't found her.
An investigation was conducted to find Willow's owner, a university student in his 20s.
This is just like Stella the pup who survived 3 months in a sea cave after getting separated on a hike.
The case is now under review with the Crown Counsel prosecutors, who will decide if the man will be charged.
As for beautiful Willow, she went into the care of a loving foster family, where she began to heal and thrive again.
"She absolutely loves going into the water – it's hard to keep her out!" wrote the BC SPCA.
"She loves going to the river, where she tries to go for a swim, no matter how cold the water."
"Her foster mum has to coax her out with treats so that she doesn't get too wet and catch a cold."
After one and a half months of love and care, Willow gained 20.5 lbs (or 9.3 kg) and loved her time with her foster family. She enjoys going for walks and car rides.
On March 16th, Willow was adopted by a loving family of her own. "We were fortunate enough to find a family who has experience with this breed, and they're so happy to include Willow as a new, furry family member," Maple Ridge SPCA assistant branch manager Faydra Nichols said.
We hope you have the best life ever, Willow!
For another heartbreaking “found but not wanted back” story, read about a dog missing for six years that her family refused to reclaim.
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