Thieves take four dogs, two found dead by road
Quesnel: Reward offered for missing mini-Dachschund
A Quesnel family is hoping the offer of a reward will lead to information on the whereabouts of their beloved mini-Dachschund.
The dog was stolen in a disturbing incident that has left two dogs dead from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning.
Natalie Tremblay and Doug Benville arrived home late on the night of Dec. 12 to find the four dogs they share with Tremblay's sister Nicole missing from their kennels.
Hours later, passing motorists saw one of the dogs, a Boxer, wandering off the Nazko Highway, about 50 kilometres away. The dog, Bo, led them down a forestry road to the bodies of his parents, Zeus and Kira.
"They had been killed and their bodies dumped off the side of the road," said Benville.
"I can't believe it," said Tremblay. "They could've just broken into my home. Take my TV, take my car, just don't hurt my dogs."
Quesnel RCMP said there was no sign of trauma, but they suspect foul play in the animals' deaths.
Necropsy results are expected later this week, but Benville said the veterinarian told him unofficially that Zeus and Kira likely died from carbon monoxide poisoning. A fourth dog, a five-year-old mini-Dachschund named Dexter, is still missing.
Benville is hopeful someone might have found Dexter. But he fears the worst after returning twice to the Slide Mountain area with rakes and shovels to look for a body that may be buried under snow.
"I'd just like to get my little guy back," said Benville. "I want to know what happened to him, one way or the other. And I want the people who did this brought to justice."
Bo has been checked out by a vet and is in good health, but emotionally, he has been acting skittish and "mopey," Benville said.
"He and Dexter were best buds," he said. "They slept on top of each other. Now Bo is the only that's left."
Colby O'Flynn, branch manager of the Quesnel SPCA, called the incident a "shocker."
"We have cases of animals dying from neglect or cruelty, but not from a deliberate theft ... just to harm them," she said.
Police are asking anyone who was on the highway between midnight and 4 a.m. on Dec. 13 and may have seen any suspicious activity to call RCMP at 250-992-9211 or anonymously to CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477. CrimeStoppers plans to offer a reward but an amount hasn't been set yet.
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