SSPCA discover ‘distressed dog’ is stuffed toy
The Scottish SPCA was contacted last Friday morning by a member of the public, reporting that a black and white collie had been hit by a car on the city’s Hillington Road.
But Kerry Friel, an animal rescue officer, arrived to find a large stuffed toy dog lying at the roadside instead.
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Hide AdMs Friel said today: “The toy was large and quite lifelike so I can understand why the person thought this was an animal in need of our help. This was the day after Halloween so it’s possible the dog was part of a
costume.”
She continued: “We do occasionally receive call-outs of this nature from people with genuine concerns for animals, only to find a toy or ornament. In September we were contacted to rescue a distressed owl which
actually turned out to be a garden feature.
“I did have a bit of a giggle when I realised the dog wasn’t real as I’m used to dealing with injured animals on a daily basis and it can be very upsetting.”
Ms Friel added: “Although this incident turned out to be a false alarm, we’d always encourage people to call our helpline on 03000 999 999 if they believe n animal is in distress.”