‘Crying’ Dog Found Chained to Tree in ‘Remote’ Area Bordering Active Fire Evacuation Zone

Animal lovers are looking for answers after some good people found a dog chained alone to a tree near a fire evacuation area.

Janet O’Reilly was one of the first to hear the dog. She lives near the fire evacuation zone for the Wesley Ridge wildfire on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

O’Reilly said she “heard a dog crying” in early August while walking her dog on some remote forest trails near the fire zone.

At first, she didn’t see the dog and went home to work. Later, her neighbor told her they heard a dog barking in the same area. They went to check and found a dog tied to a tree with a short chain, without food or water.

On August 3, O’Reilly shared on a local Facebook group: “This morning at 6:30, I heard a dog barking on a very remote walk. A neighbor found a dog tied to a tree on a 1-foot chain. No water or food. The dog was in distress. It’s the same place I heard her crying earlier.”

After hearing this, O’Reilly went to free the dog and brought her home. The dog was very thirsty and had been outside for at least 10 hours. O’Reilly said the dog seemed sweet but wasn’t comfortable around other dogs.

O’Reilly explained she already had two dogs and two cats and couldn’t keep the dog. She asked on Facebook for help from animal rescue groups or anyone who could give the dog a safe place.

Later, the BC SPCA contacted O’Reilly and took the dog to care for her and find her a permanent home.

Sam Sattar from BC SPCA said, “She’s in good shape and warms up quickly. We’re wondering how she ended up there.”

The dog, named Eve after O’Reilly’s middle name, is about two years old and likely hasn’t been alone for long. She has no microchip or ID. Since no owner has come forward, the SPCA plans to spay Eve and put her up for adoption.

O’Reilly hopes Eve’s life will get better after being left alone near a wildfire. She said, “I feel like a monster did this. If someone wanted the dog found, they would have tied her somewhere with people.”

The BC Wildfire Service says the Wesley Ridge wildfire is under control and not expected to spread further.