Puppy attacked by machete in St. Lucia receiving treatment in Guelph, Ont.
Gabriel, a 5-month-old puppy who was attacked with a machete in the Caribbean, recovers in Guelph, Ont. on May 29, 2025. (Alexandra Holyk/CTV News)
A five-month-old puppy named Gabriel is getting a second 'leash' on life after suffering from a machete attack in the Caribbean earlier this month.
The puppy was found on his last legs by a surveyor doing work on a remote beach in St. Lucia. With little to no options, the individual contacted Helpaws – a non-profit animal rescue located on the island.
'It was horrible,' recalled Helpaws operations manager Kisha St. Romain. 'The jaw was just completely open, there was sand in there, debris, dirt, there were little pieces of paper as well, and maggots.'
But Gabriel hadn't given up yet.
'He was fighting to live,' St. Romain said. 'I started to cry because it was horrible … he is one of the worst situations that I've seen.'
St. Romain took Gabriel to the island vet, who recommended humane euthanasia due to a lack of resources and low chance of survival. The rescue then turned to social media for advice and support.
'We obviously want to do everything we possibly can for this dog,' said Helpaws founder Charlene Troubetzkoy in an interview with CTV News. 'He deserves a chance at life, but what is his quality of life going to be like?'
The rescue set up a GoFundMe page for Gabriel and has already raised more than US$24,200 as of Thursday.
Troubetzkoy also consulted Dr. Renee Fleming, a veterinarian with the Guelph Animal Hospital in Ontario and a long-time partner with Helpaws. While Fleming also initially recommended euthanasia, Gabriel's resiliency inspired her to take a different approach.
Gabriel, a 5-month-old puppy, recovers in Ontario after he was attack with a Machete in the Caribbean
Gabriel, a 5-month-old puppy who was attacked with a machete in the Caribbean, recovers in Guelph, Ont. in May 2025. (Submitted: Renee Fleming)
'We made the decision to start treatment on the island with antibiotics and pain control and make a plan for him to come to Canada so that he could have more extensive work done and make sure that he was going to be OK moving forward,' Fleming said.
Helpaws continued sharing updates on Gabriel's condition online. Shortly after, one of their followers sponsored a flight to get Gabriel the care he needed.
'We have the backing of our family, who are our social media followers and supporters,' Troubetzkoy said. 'And that really was the final push … we're going to save him. He needs to be saved.'
Gabriel, a 5-month-old puppy, recovers in Ontario after he was attack with a Machete in the Caribbean
Gabriel, a 5-month-old puppy who was attacked with a machete in the Caribbean, recovers in Guelph, Ont. on May 29, 2025. (Alexandra Holyk/CTV News)
Fleming flew down to St. Lucia to pick up the puppy last week. The pair returned to Canada on Sunday. By Tuesday, Gabriel had already undergone several procedures.
'[We] did some x-rays of his skull and his jaw where some of his injuries were, and there was a number of damaged teeth that needed to be removed and some wounds to clothes,' Fleming noted.
Now, Gabriel is on the mend and on the move.
'He loves cats, he loves dogs, he loves kids,' said Fleming. 'And he just loves people. He just loves to be with people.'
While the young pup awaits further treatment, Fleming said she expects him to move into foster care next week. Eventually, Gabriel will be up for adoption, eager to find his forever home.
To stay up to date with Gabriel's journey, follow HelpAWS on Instagram.
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