An elderly dog left abandoned in Penticton has been returned to the owner, despite significant interest in adoption in the community.
On March 4, dog control posted about a 12 to 14-year-old dog they named Sylvia who was abandoned by the owner. According to the post, Sylvia’s owner called dog control to let them know that “he knew she got out, but left Penticton anyway.”
The owner also refused to give his name or the name of his dog.
“For those of you who don’t know this, that is animal abandonment and you can be charged for this,” said Penticton Dog Control.
Dog control was originally going to try and find a home for Sylvia, as she would not have done well in a shelter. Many people reached out to give Sylvia a home, but, sadly, they announced the news today that the owner came forward and decided to take the dog back.
“The owner has come forward so we will be giving Sylvia back to her owner as we have no legal authority to keep her,” officials explained. “We understand that this may be very upsetting however, we have consulted with a lawyer and the owner still has the right to claim their dog.”
Dog Control added that they have reported the owner to the BC SPCA and they will be investigating further.
“We are making this post because we value transparency and we hope to educate people of the realities surrounding the laws regarding animal welfare in Canada,” the posts adds.
“We encourage you to contact our government to advocate for changes to be made to our animal protection laws.”
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