A Greater Toronto Area dog rescue is asking for help in finding an injured one-and-a-half-year-old dog that was hit by a moving vehicle late last week.
Hugo went missing Thursday at 5 p.m., right as a major winter storm blew through the province.
Denise Angus, the founder of Mattie’s Place, a Toronto pet rescue and support centre, told CP24 in an email that Hugo slipped out of his harness and winter coat after being startled by the closing garage door in his adopted Unionville home near South Unionville Avenue.
Hugo was spotted on Christmas Day, crossing 16th Avenue and Normandale Road, when he was hit by a moving vehicle, Angus said.
“We don’t know the extent of the injuries,” Angus told CTV News Toronto, adding bloody paw prints were spotted at the scene. “It’s so dense and heavily populated with other wildlife it can be difficult to track for obvious reasons.”
Angus said Hugo was last seen going into a construction site located at what was previously the York Downs Golf Course. She said he appears to be staying within a five-minute radius of his home.
“If Hugo is not found soon, he will die,” Angus said. “He is cold, hungry, tired, injured and can’t sustain much longer.”
Hugo is a 40-pound whippet and hound mix, and in his photos, he has bicoloured black and brown fur.
If someone spots Hugo, Angus urges them not to approach or chase after him, and to also not feed him. Instead, call or text the owner at 647-878-2211 with a photo of the dog to confirm it’s truly Hugo.
“A photo is really important,” Angus said. “If he’s on the move, you know, what direction is he going? Is he running? Is he walking, what speed is he moving in? What are the cross streets – those are really important things to let us know.”
Anyone living near the area is encouraged to check their bushes, under their cars, in their sheds and backyards, as Angus says Hugo is likely looking to curl up somewhere.
Mattie’s Place has volunteers on the ground searching 24/7, but the dog rescue is asking for help in finding Hugo and in putting up posters.
Those who are interested in helping with the search can email info@mattiesplace.ca, and Angus says they are looking for Hugo around 16th Avenue, Kennedy Road, Normandale Road, and Toogood Pond Park.
“We just need a Christmas miracle for this dog, you know, he’s a young dog, and he has made it through a horrific storm, and he’s come way too far for his life to end this way,” Angus said.
