Send this page to someone via email

Animal control officers with the Regional Animal Protection Society (RAPS) in Richmond are investigating after a number of dead puppies were found in the parkade of the Hilton Vancouver Airport.

Hilton Vancouver Airport general manager Sanjeet Sadana told Global News staff made the discovery during a routine parking lot check Saturday afternoon, and the manager on duty called police.

RAPS CEO Eyal Lichtmann said his organization was called to the scene by Richmond RCMP and will pass along results of their investigation to the BC SPCA, with possible animal cruelty charges to follow.

“It’s definite animal cruelty … it’s horrific, to allow a bunch of puppies to die,” he said.

Story continues below advertisement

Lichtmann said a total of eight puppies were found “strewn” across the second level of the parkade. The RCMP then put the dead puppies into a box and took them to the Richmond detachment, where they have been frozen.

RAPS intends to retrieve the puppies Monday and conduct an investigation.

It’s not yet clear how the puppies died, or if someone intentionally killed them.

READ MORE: BC SPCA takes in 21 sick French bulldogs and pugs surrendered by breeder

“Right now, we’re going on supposition, and we really don’t know what happened,” he said.

“We don’t know if the puppies were left there. We don’t know if the mother gave birth there and took off, and if it was a stray dog. We don’t know if someone did this or if someone happened.”

Lichtmann said RAPS is trying to find the mother of the puppies to ensure that she’s okay — but he said it’s inexplicable that the puppies weren’t brought to an expert if they needed medical attention.

“We would have put all our resources and all our capabilities to keep them alive,” he said, adding the puppies would have frozen to death quickly if they were still alive when they were left.

Story continues below advertisement

Lichtmann is urging owners whose dogs may have given birth to a litter they’re not prepared to care for to do the right thing and bring them to a shelter, or at least ask for help.

“Individuals who do not know how to take care of a litter that they’ve had at home [should] come directly to the RAPS animal hospital, where we have trained them on how to take care of the litter,” he said.

Global News has reached out to the BC SPCA and Richmond RCMP for more information.

0:35 Two dogs, 17 husky puppies surrendered to RCMP during holiday season, SPCA says Two dogs, 17 husky puppies surrendered to RCMP during holiday season, SPCA says