RCMP GET DOGS, POT PLANTS IN RAID

Mom, 8 Pups Put Down; 3 Adopted Out

This is a tale about Mounties, marijuana and puppies.

The saga started when the RCMP Caribboo Regional Integrated Marijuana
Enforcement Task Force searched a rural Williams Lake property and
found more than 8,600 pot plants.

But the officers got more than they expected when they encountered a
baker's dozen of dogs -a female German shepherd with eight pups, as
well as three other German shepherds and a Bernese mountain dog.

Cpl. Dean Robinson knew the pups would not survive once the power was
cut.

"I decided right then I couldn't just leave them there," said
Robinson, who took the mother and her pups. "I'm a dog lover, and
wanted to give these dogs a chance at survival."

Robinson returned to the grow-op the next day, and arranged for
Williams Lake SPCA to pick up the mom and pups as well as the three
German shepherds, which appeared to have been abandoned.

Sadly, the mom and pups, which had been living adjacent to the
grow-op, had contracted a highly contagious disease know as parvo and
had to be euthanized.

The three other German shepherds have been adopted out to loving
families, and Robinson has initiated a fundraiser with the help of the
SPCA and the local Save-On-Foods.

The store's manager, Mark Law, created a points donation program
allowing Williams Lake residents to donate their points to the SPCA.
Save-On-Foods is matching the donations dollar for dollar.

"Rarely do you come across a grow-op of this size without finding some
secondary issue going on," said Robinson. "But finding this blatant
disregard for the health of these dogs really hit home for me."

Two men were arrested in the Jan. 31 event and released. No charges
were laid.