The team witnessed the owner throwing the mixed-breed dog from their car as they sped away from the wildfire near Kelowna.
A senior dog has been rescued by a search and rescue team after being thrown from her owner’s vehicle as he fled approaching wildfires.
The Central Okanagan Search and Rescue team were enforcing an evacuation order on Westside Road in the La Casa resort near Kelowna on Friday night when they spoke with a homeowner about the dangers of the nearby White Rock Lake wildfire.
The team said in a Facebook post shared on Saturday that they struggled to communicate with the man for a long time, with the crew resorting to phoning a translator to help enforce the evacuation instructions.
The man eventually left with his female dog - described by the crew as a mixed breed - but was spotted 100m up the road throwing her from the car and continuing south on Westside Road.
She was quickly rescued by the rescue team, who swiftly brought her back to their base for food and water and was given the nickname Smokey.
After staying overnight at a crew member’s home, she was taken to Dr. Moshe Oz at Rose Valley Veterinary Hospital in West Kelowna for a check over.
COSAR search manager Duane Tresnich said: "It's my understanding that after Dr. Oz checks Smokey over, a suitable home will be found. I know these are incredibly stressful times, but what happened is unacceptable.
"Dr. Oz's been great during the evacuations. He's always willing to go above and beyond to help people out.”
It is currently unknown if the owner’s actions are being investigated, either by the RCMP or the BC SPCA.
** This story will be updated when more information becomes available **
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