17 Chihuahuas found abandoned roadside near Turkey Point

More than a dozen Chihuahuas were found abandoned in crates at the side of a rural road last month.

Staff at Hillside Animal Control called it a shocking discovery.

Cassia Bryden, who works at Hillside and also runs Sato Animal Rescue, got the call about the ditched dogs on Sept. 28. She said a woman was driving down Lakeshore Line near Turkey Point when she spotted the five crates.

“They're kind of just down into the ditch, enough that they were off the road, but still visible from the road,” she told CTV News.

Bryden said the woman who found them took them home, thinking there were around eight or nine dogs in total.

Turn out, there were many more.

“17 is definitely one of the biggest numbers that we've ever had. It was it was pretty shocking and really disappointing,” Bryden said.

Several chihuahuas look out from behind the bars of a pet carrier. (Submitted: Cassia Bryden)

She went to the woman’s home to pick up the dogs and brought them to the kennel to vaccinate them. Bryden said the pups were in decent condition, health-wise, but very hungry.

“There was no food or water in the crates when they were found. They were just loaded into the crates and left there.”

Bryden isn’t sure about their previous living conditions or how many litters there are. The dogs range in age from two to 10-years-old.

“My guess is that they realize these dogs aren't going to be making them any money anymore, so they just loaded them up and dropped them off and got rid of them because they were found on a rural road and there's no evidence of who dumped them.”

Bryden said it isn’t fair to the poor pups who are clearly traumatized.

“It's so much more traumatic for the animals to have to go through that just because these people are too selfish to look for the resources that they need in order to rehome them properly,” she said. “Every single one of them, for the first 48 hours, were just vibrating, shaking, very, very nervous, very trembly.”

Bryden said there are better options out there than ditching dogs at the side of the road. She encourages people to safely surrender their pets to an animal rescue or humane society.

Duke in Cambridge

Kristen Eaton is fostering one of the Chihuahuas at her Cambridge home. She describes Duke as a senior dog with a cautious, but kind, demeanor.

“Just incredible poise and he was so beautiful and princely and we just thought he should be Sir Duke,” she explained. “He has been very sweet and quiet and scared. He wants to be with us, but he's very nervous.”

Eaton said Duke is warming up to his foster family and new friends, her other dogs. She doesn’t believe he spent a lot of time, if any, outdoors at his previous home.

“He squints in the sun and he doesn't know any grass. So he pops up onto the deck very quickly. It's as if he's nervous about being outside,” Eaton explained.

Rescued chihuahua Duke sits in the arms of his foster owner Kristen Eaton on Oct. 15, 2024. (Heather Senoran/CTV News)

Emma the three-legged dog

Emma, a three-legged dog, is being fostered at a home in Kitchener.

Her foster parent said she likes naps and playing.

Bryden believes Emma’s leg was amputated at some point, likely by a veterinarian. But, as none of the dogs were microchipped, she doesn’t know where they came from.

Both Duke and Emma are expected to be put up for adoption in the coming weeks.

Bryden said they’re still looking for foster homes for the other dogs while they wait in different shelters across the province. She said the best foster home for these dogs would be ones without small children or big dogs.

Rescued chihuahua Emma stands in her foster home. (Submitted: Alexa Strub)