

Joshua Freeman, CP24.com





Toronto Animal Services is looking to find out more about an abused poodle that was found wandering around a Scarborough neigbourhood on Christmas Eve.

“Frankie,” a small, male apricot poodle who is about one or two years old, was found wandering in the residential area of Rouge River Drive and Jaguar Street, not far from the Toronto Zoo.

A Good Samaritan found the dog by himself with an elastic band tied around his nose and took him to a veterinary emergency clinic, Toronto Animal Services said in a post on its Instagram account. The agency said the dog was “obviously distressed” and very thin due to chronic malnutrition. The elastic had also caused severe injury to the dog’s nose and the tissue inside his mouth.

Frankie was treated at the clinic for several days and has since been moved to a foster home to continue his recovery. Toronto Animal Services has taken responsibility for the dog.

“He will likely require surgery to fix the tissue around his muzzle, but he is otherwise recovering and eating well,” Toronto Animal Services said in its post. “Despite the horrible abuse that Frankie has sustained, he presents as a happy, pleasant, trusting dog ... heartbreakingly typical of dogs in his situation.”

Toronto Animal Services is now asking anyone with information about the dog to call 416-338-7297. The group is also accepting donations to help Frankie and other dogs like him.