Six-year-old cocker spaniel Megan is the only witness to a mystery, having lived through one of the region’s most tragic incidents in recent years.
On July 20, the dog was found at the scene of a suspected homicide in Sooke, where her owner Pam Dyer was found dead.
Often family or friends of a deceased person will adopt pets, but in this case Megan found her way to Saanich’s cocker spaniel rescue organization, Angels Under Our Wings.
“We don’t know exactly what (Megan) went through during that time. She was actually found with blood on her fur. But all-in-all she’s doing really, really well,” said founder Lisa Atterby. “However, Megan does have some particular needs that demand the right fit with a potential owner.”
Last summer, Dyer took Megan into her home out of sympathy as the dog was recovering from hernia surgery. Megan already had fear issues, but as the dog’s confidence grew, so did the bond between the pair.
Dyer adopted her permanently in October, which wasn’t necessarily the plan, Atterby said.
“There’s still a little bit of anxiety with Megan. She paces a little bit in the morning, so perhaps there’s a morning routine that (Dyer) had with her so we’re working through that and figuring it out. It just takes a little time,” she said.
Dyer had previously adopted a dog from AUOW which passed away from cancer.
Megan is one of three spaniels in need of a special home, though there are six more spaniels currently being kept the organization, Atterby said.
Salty and Autumn are the other special cases. Salty is a four-year-old male cocker who came from Vancouver Animal Control and Atterby has worked hard to gain his trust.
“Salty needs a dog-savvy adoptive home that will work on earning his trust and help socialize him with other people. Autumn is a petite five-year-old with a hyper-mature cataract limiting her vision in one eye.”
Autumn will likely need surgery to treat the cataract on her other eye, and she’ll also need dental work, including the extraction of two teeth.
Atterby is hoping to fundraise for operational costs for Autumn, which are approximately $3,000.
To donate, adopt or learn more about on Angels Under Our Wings, call Lisa Atterby at 250-889-8880 or visit angelsunderourwings.com
reporter@saanichnews.com