Two seemingly well-intentioned tourists are believed to have left Tofino with a local dog and its owner is desperately pleading for it to be returned.
Shannon Boothman told the Westerly News she was setting up a tent near Tonquin Beach around 7 p.m. on Nov. 2 when her dog, Itska, ran off towards the beach.
乌鸦传媒淚 should have been more proactive, but I thought he乌鸦传媒檇 just ran down to the beach and I was going to finish setting up my tent and go grab him,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淚 just did not think in all of my life that he would get stolen.乌鸦传媒�
She said a police officer with the Tofino RCMP approached her shortly afterwards and informed her that he had found Itska with two tourists and would bring the dog to her.
She said she then left the area to search for Itska and did not see the police officer again that night. She said she was informed by the RCMP the next day that the dog had been left with the two tourists.
乌鸦传媒淚 need to find these people because they apparently think that I don乌鸦传媒檛 want my dog乌鸦传媒e乌鸦传媒檚 not hurt, he乌鸦传媒檚 well taken care of, he乌鸦传媒檚 well loved, he乌鸦传媒檚 with me 24 hours a day,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 lived here all his life, he doesn乌鸦传媒檛 deserve to get stolen and taken to a different city with somebody he doesn乌鸦传媒檛 know.乌鸦传媒�
She said she was frustrated at the officer for not getting contact information from the couple before leaving the dog with them.
乌鸦传媒淚 just want my dog back and the only way I can do that is to get his picture everywhere because I have no idea where he is because the police didn乌鸦传媒檛 ask,乌鸦传媒� she said.
She said she乌鸦传媒檚 confident Itska has been taken out of town because she乌鸦传媒檚 lived in Tofino for 20 years and has owned Itska for four, yet no one she knows has seen him in the past week.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 always walking my dog. Everybody knows me and my dog. So, if he乌鸦传媒檚 in this town, they will find him, but I don乌鸦传媒檛 think he乌鸦传媒檚 in this town because police said [the couple] aren乌鸦传媒檛 from this town,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 so many locals sitting on the street and everybody knows who Itska is. Everybody is looking for him, but the more the days go by, the more I know he乌鸦传媒檚 not in town乌鸦传媒 just want his picture spread everywhere so that hopefully he can come back to me.乌鸦传媒�
Tofino RCMP detachment commander Sgt. Todd Pebernat told the Westerly that an officer was called to the Tonquin Beach area for an unrelated matter the night Itska went missing.
乌鸦传媒淭he member tried to assist and located the dog with a couple who reported they found the animal and believed it to be in need of care,乌鸦传媒� Pebernat said. 乌鸦传媒淭he member, hoping to reunite the dog with the owner, returned to the female to advise that he may have located her dog but could not find her.乌鸦传媒�
He said the officer was then called to a 乌鸦传媒渉igher priority乌鸦传媒� situation and left the scene.
乌鸦传媒淭he member did not take the dog from the owner or tell the couple they could keep the dog,乌鸦传媒� he said adding the officer attempted to contact the Coastal Animal Rescue and Education Network, but was unable to reach anyone that late at night.
乌鸦传媒淚f police knew where the dog was, we would be happy to facilitate the return of the animal to the rightful owner.乌鸦传媒�
He said the investigation into Itska乌鸦传媒檚 whereabouts is ongoing.
乌鸦传媒淢y sense is that the couple may have turned the dog in to an SPCA out of concern for its welfare. If that turns out to be the case, I would not pursue it as a theft as the folks were likely acting in good faith out of concern for the dog. That said, the file is still open,乌鸦传媒� he said.
He suggested the situation highlights the importance of residents complying with Tofino乌鸦传媒檚 bylaws, which mandate that all dogs must be leashed unless confined indoors or within a fenced property.
James Rodgers of the Coastal Animal Rescue and Education Network said situations where tourists decide to take a dog are more common than one might think.
乌鸦传媒淪ome of our communities have free roaming populations of dogs, so when visitors are visiting different areas of the region, those dogs may join them for a walk or a hike for an hour or a day and perhaps in those situations, people think those dogs don乌鸦传媒檛 have homes or somebody to care for them and perhaps, well-meaningly, decide to take the dog either home or to a shelter elsewhere,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淲hich, obviously, is very problematic as most of the dogs on the West Coast do have families that care for them乌鸦传媒hen these things happen, I think it is largely well-intended people, just perhaps not understanding how animals live out here, which in some cases can be a little less conventional than what they might be used to in the city.乌鸦传媒�
He said CARE has spoken to Boothman, but because the dog has been taken out of town, rather than gone missing, searching for Itska falls outside CARE乌鸦传媒檚 regular search protocols.
He added that CARE has advised Boothman about various online groups to notify for help searching and advised her to contact SPCA facilities across Vancouver Island as well as the mainland.
乌鸦传媒淩eally, it乌鸦传媒檚 a tough situation because once they leave the coast, it乌鸦传媒檚 hard to say where they go,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淎t this point, it乌鸦传媒檚 just a very sad situation for Shannon.乌鸦传媒�
Itska is described as an unneutered male with a dark brown and black body, a tan-coloured head, white legs and a curly tail.
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
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