MAPLE RIDGE, B.C. — The B.C. SPCA says it has identified the owner of a severely emaciated Siberian husky who had been eating gravel and dirt to stay alive.
The dog — now named Willow and estimated to be between one and two years old — weighed just 15 kilograms when she was found wandering in Maple Ridge last week.
Marcie Moriarty of the B.C. SPCA says the dog's owner has been identified as a Coquitlam resident and university student in his 20s.
She says SPCA officers have interviewed him and believe there is sufficient evidence to move forward with animal cruelty charges.
The SPCA learned of the owner's identity after receiving a call from a neighbour who recognized the husky after seeing her photo in the media.
Willow was extremely weak and malnourished when she was found on Jan. 31, as a normal weight for a dog of her age and breed is about 24 kilograms.
