Prince George BC where Winters can be -40 degrees and the flies in Summer are thick, especially on dogs that live in their own excrement. It was in Prince George in October 2009 that the SPCA launched its provincewide campaign to highlight plight of chained dogs. It called this campaign "Break the Chains of Suffering" and a lot of dog-lover andrescuers thought that meant that the SPCA was not going to let dogs like Cherry suffer any longer. But it didn't. Cherry was reported to the SPCA and nothing at all changed. Nothing at all, even though Cherry's owner was in contravention of the PCA Act in at least two ways.
A moment before this photo was taken, Cherry was grinning from ear to ear and galloping up to the kind person who had come to touch her and tell her what a dear girl she is. She was suddenly jerked onto her back when her tether ran out.
In the BC Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, causing or permitting "distress" is an offence and an animal is in distress if it is:
(a) deprived of adequate food, water, shelter,
ventilation, space, care or veterinary treatment,
(b) injured, sick, in pain or suffering, or
(c) abused or neglected. We count eight causes of distress that Cherry could
have been seized for and her owner made an example of by being
charged: space, care, veterinary treatment, pain, suffering, abused,
neglected. Some rescuers would say that Cherry was lucky not to
end up in the charge of the SPCA in case she had been killed.
See Puppy Bear Rescued From the SPCA.
It's clear why this condition is called "cherry eye".
One of the most powerful things you can do
is to spread our web of compassion for animals. Send the AAS Website to everyone you know who hates cruelty to animals. The power of
animal-lovers joined together by the internet is changing animal protection and welfare in this province.
Use your power for the animals!