The Montreal SPCA has an open investigation after a dog was shot multiple times and left for dead in the Lower Saint Lawrence region in Eastern Quebec. The dog was found covered in blood on a road in Saint-Léandre, near Matane. The woman who discovered him took him into her home, where she cared for him until the local vet opened, according to an SPCA news release. “The pup, whom she named Léandre, was hospitalized to get the urgent care he needed,” the SPCA said. The vet confirmed that the dog was shot several times. Two investigators from the Montreal SPCA took the six-and-a-half-hour drive to the area to pick up the dog and take over the case. “It’s really a miracle he survived!” said investigator Debrah Dunlop, who said the dog remains affectionate and trusting, despite the violent assault. The SPCA said the dog is receiving care, and the investigation is ongoing. The shelter said its new hotline is handling nearly three times as many calls for animal cruelty or neglect. The SPCA’s investigators have opened 288 cases in December and January, an increase of 38 per cent from the year prior. “The public is increasingly aware of animal welfare issues,” said Montreal SPCA executive director Sylvie Bourbonnière. ”Since reporting has been made easier, people contact us more quickly when they witness an act of cruelty toward an animal.” Anyone able to identify this dog or who has information about the case is urged to contact the Montreal SPCA at 1-855-711-7575 or enquetes@spca.com. All information will be treated confidentially.
