The following was submitted by Humane Society Hastings Prince Edward
Lucky “Abner,” a young Great Pyrenees mix dog, is settling in nicely at Humane Society Hastings Prince Edward after being abandoned by his owner recently on a little-travelled seasonal road in Prince Edward County.
Late in the day on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, PEC resident Fred Armitage decided to take his truck down a seasonal-use only road near his home in Hillier, Ontario. As he turned in from the main road, another vehicle was exiting. Not used to seeing other traffic on this small road, Armitage was immediately curious. Sure enough, close to a kilometre in, Armitage encountered a large dog, sitting nervously by a pile of dry dog food.
“He wouldn’t let me get near him – he had this low growl and would run into the woods each time I tried.”
Armitage, who sits on HSHPE’s board of directors, is no stranger to dog rescue. While serving as project manager and team leader for close protection operations for the Embassy of Finland in Kabul, he began a project to rescue stray dogs who often died of starvation, poisoning and stoning. Relying on Facebook and a network of supporters, Armitage managing to place 21 dogs from Afghanistan with families in Canada, many of them in the Quinte region. His efforts are the subject of the 2011 documentary, Refugee Dogs.
Now, years later, back in Canada, Armitage found himself back on a quest to save a dog in peril.
Armitage began calling around and posting on Facebook asking for assistance. Prince Edward Animal Control responded to his call, but they also had no luck luring the dog into their vehicle. He then contacted Quinte West Lost Paws (QWLP), a local volunteer-run group that helps locate and reunite lost dogs with owners.
With the sun setting, Armitage stayed in his truck near the dog for several hours but could not entice the dog nearer, even when the skies opened up.
The dog sat there, even during the torrential rain. . . just waiting for his owners to come back.”
By early the next morning, Armitage was back on site. His Facebook post was garnering attention, and people started coming by to deliver dog food and donations.
QWLP founder and lead volunteer Rhonda Guthrie-Taft says her group was ready to respond. Hillary, one of the QWLP volunteers, arrived Saturday morning with two other volunteers waiting nearby as backup if needed.
“This is always a team effort,” said Guthrie-Taft.
Hillary said that although Abner growled a few times during their initial encounters, he was not an aggressive dog but was “really just a scared dog who was left in a field.”
With a calm demeanor, patience and lots of liver treats, she managed to get a slip lead onto Abner and then lead him up a ramp and into her vehicle.
Once inside the car, “his demeanor changed immediately and he was giving me face kisses.”
She transported Abner to Humane Society Hastings Prince Edward. His exam showed that he was a healthy, 1 ½ to 2-year-old, and most likely a Great Pyrenees/Australian Shepherd mix. After HSHPE’s mandatory five-day hold, Abner remained unclaimed by his owners.
He is now available for adoption, pending his upcoming neuter operation.
Anyone interested in adopting Abner or interested in supporting his neuter operation are encouraged to call HSHPE at 613-968-4673 or email hshpe@humanesocietyhpe.ca.
Abner in volunteer Hilary’s vehicle. (Photo: HSHPE)
Great Pyrenees mix dog, Abner, playing at Humane Society Hastings Prince Edward. (Photo: HSHPE)
