The discovery of a badly-matted dog named Shrek helped lead to the removal of a dozen other dogs in Brantford.
The Brant County SPCA says an anonymous tip sent them to a property about a kilometre from where the Morkipoo was found.
There, they discovered 12 small dogs that they say required varying levels of care.
“After discussing it with [the owners], the changes that they needed to upkeep the dogs as far as the standards of care for the province of Ontario, they just couldn't do it,” says Insp. Brandon James of the Brant County SPCA.
The former owner handed over the dogs, which include 10 poodle mixes, a Chihuahua and a yorkie, on Sunday.
The SPCA has not released the address where the dogs were found, nor can they confirm whether Shrek lived at that same location.
But they say they were alerted to the property after Shrek’s story went public.
The 6-year-old dog was found by a veterinarian’s family last week in a Brantford field, and is showing signs of improvement.
“The member of the public that called it in had seen the articles and decided that maybe there is a connection there,” says James.
Once each of the 12 dogs are groomed, SPCA staff will help them become accustomed to human contact.
“It will bring them closer to you and they know that you're not there to cause them harm or scare them or anything like that and they'll eventually come around,” says James.
Officials say it will take some time before the dogs are ready for adoption.
