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CTV News
6 days ago
- General
- CTV News
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.
Global News
28-05-2025
- Global News
Guelph vet rescues puppy after machete attack in St. Lucia
A veterinarian at Guelph Animal Hospital has rescued a puppy that was attacked by a machete in St. Lucia. Dr. Renee Fleming said five-month-old Gabriel was left on a remote beach after the attack two weeks ago. Fleming returned with the pup to Guelph, Ont., on Sunday, and said he's been doing well despite his injuries. 'We were in quite late last night (Sunday), he had a good night sleeping and he's been here with my team. I don't think he's spent more than five minutes in his kennel, he's been in everybody's arms. He's just such a sweetheart,' Fleming said. Gabriel, a potcake dog, which is essentially a mixed breed, sustained severe injuries to his face and is missing most of his left lower jawbone. She said it's hard to imagine how someone could hurt something so innocent. Story continues below advertisement 'To see something like this, it's so hard not to feel the hurt and the fear that this puppy must have experienced, the pain they must have experienced. It's really unfair,' said Fleming, who has worked for various charities over the past decade, including several spay and neuter medical projects in St. Lucia. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Fleming first travelled to St. Lucia in 2016 with an organization called the Canadian Animal Assistance Team (CAAT) to conduct a spay/neuter project on the island. The initiative was organized by Helpaws (Help Animal Welfare in St. Lucia). Fleming's connection with the charitable organization led her back to St. Lucia, which was a two-day trip. Upon learning about the puppy's journey, along with his need to be brought back to North America, Fleming said a Helpaws supporter donated money to fly her onto the island. Fleming said the local medical staff offered humane euthanasia, but she said the dog would have a better chance at surviving in Canada or the United States, where more extensive diagnostics and treatments could be done. 'So, over the course of a few weeks we've tried to do some local stabilization on the island with the help of the local island veterinarians, and it became apparent that there was nothing that could be done locally,' she said. Her trip back to the island allowed her to assess the dog's injuries and ensure it was safe for him to make the journey to Canada. Story continues below advertisement Since returning to the hospital, Fleming said Gabriel is improving with sedation and anesthesia. X-rays were done on his head, jaw and teeth before he went into surgery on Tuesday. The puppy currently has a feeding tube in place so staff can help with his nutrition until his weight is more stable. Gabriel will be in Fleming's care until he's stable for foster care. 'This little guy has been fortunate that the rescue was able to take him in and fundraise for his care, but definitely I think we can all do a little bit of a better job about education and being aware of what happens in terms of health and wellness,' she said.
