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UPDATE: September 26 – Most of the abandoned dogs have now been adopted.

Story from August 30:

Mounties are investigating after 50 small dogs were left outside two Lower Mainland animal shelters overnight.

Richmond city spokesperson Ted Townsend said 38 dogs were discovered at 7 a.m. Friday morning by Richmond Animal Protection Society staff. He said they were dumped sometime after 11 p.m.

Twelve other dogs were dumped at the New Westminster Animal Shelter overnight, and although it’s unknown whether they are connected, the dogs were all Terriers, Yorkshire Terriers and Chihuahuas.

“There were two or three dogs in each kennel [dumped at the Richmond shelter],” Townsend said.

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“It has created a burden for the shelter to have this many dogs come in at once, so they’re scrambling, but they do have the facilities,” Townsend said.

Townsend said all the dogs appear to be in good health and have been well cared for.

“The shelter is just processing them and getting them ready to see the vet,” he said. “We’ll put them up for adoption and we don’t expect it to be too much of a challenge to find them homes.”

A spokesperson for the shelter said it will cost more than $10,000 for basic vet care and to spay and neuter all the dogs.

Mounties have opened a file to investigate where the dogs came from, but Townsend wouldn’t speculate whether they may be from a puppy mill.

Townsend said if the owners had followed proper procedure at the shelter the dogs would have been taken in.

“They chose to simply abandon them,” he said.

To donate to the Richmond Animal Protection Society, visit their website.