Laynee the Shih Tzu. (submitted photo/BCSPCA)

By Vernon Matters Staff

Hero pup

Dog’s midnight walk leads to kitten rescue in Peachland

Jul 21, 2025 | 10:50 AM

A routine bathroom break turned into a life-saving mission for a dog named Laynee and her owner in Peachland.

In the early morning hours of July 11, Brady Verhaeghe let his Shih Tzu out and quickly realized something unusual was happening.

“When I let her out, she refused to come back indoors,” Verhaeghe said. “Her attention was locked on something under a bush.”

That something turned out to be a tiny black kitten. Moments later, a second kitten was discovered in the same spot after Laynee led Verhaeghe back.

The kittens, estimated to be just three weeks old, were cold and shivering. Verhaeghe brought them inside, wrapped them in blankets and kept them close through the night. He said Laynee, who had never interacted with kittens before, stayed by their side and kept checking on them.

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“She did not mind them crawling all over her,” he said. “She is usually shy around other animals. I was super surprised by her reaction.”

Verhaeghe kept watch at the bush for a possible return of the mother cat, but no sign of her ever came. He later brought the kittens to the BC SPCA’s Kelowna animal centre.

“When we examined the kittens, they were really thin and their gums were pale, but they were bright-eyed and hungry, which was a good sign,” said Shannon Paille, the centre’s manager.

The kittens are now being bottle-fed in foster care. They have received treatment for parasites and their first vaccinations. They will be available for adoption once they reach eight weeks of age.

Kim Monteith, the BC SPCA’s manager of animal welfare and behaviour, said Verhaeghe did exactly the right thing.

“If you find kittens under eight weeks of age, in a safe place, and they do not look sick or injured, every effort should be made to keep them with their mother,” said Monteith. “But if they are sick or not in a safe spot, or the mother does not return, then they should be brought into care.”

More information on how to help animals like these kittens is available at spca.bc.ca/donations-emergency-rescue.