My friend was looking after the dog (chihuahua) when the owner was away and took the dog to be x-rayed and saw that the leg was deformed (after being beaten) it had really bad hip problems and the gums on in it’s mouth was completely swollen and the dog had missing teeth (pretty bad teeth for it’s age).

She gets pets such as rabbits/dogs, her last last boyfriend purchased a great dane  (for breeding purposes) he also purchased a corgi  for her as a gift, and she always had her first dog which is a chihuahua (the one with swollen gums and bad hips) and also she had a pomeranian (bought for breeding purposes as well). Eventually they broke up she took all the dogs except for the corgi.

Every single dog in her and his care had broken legs and just wasn’t cared for properly. The great dane was left outside in the cold on the balcony all night in the freezing rain I witnessed it all and tried to let her back in but was unfortunatly caught and was told “just leave her outside” at the time I was “friends” with them. The corgi suffered scars on her head, a broken and severely swollen back leg she was only 3months old. around the 5th month mark they told everyone that the dog had jumped off the balcony and her neck broke in half and she died. The great dane was kicked in the chin with the tip of a shoe so hard I could hear her whimpering.

When they broke up she took the great Dane the pomeranian and her chihuahua. I asked her if I could take the pomeranian and care for it she told me “if you can potty train her you can keep her” which I did potty trained her teach her tricks, gave her a loving home eventually I was dishing out alot of money for the dog so I decided the dog is mine. I registered her and licensed her I have spent more then 1grand at least on all her injuries and rotting teeth.

So we filed animal cruelty against her. I guess I was really hoping for it to be an open and shut case where me and another person witnessed the beatings and abuse but it’s disappointing how me just seeing all of it happen in front of my own eyes wasn’t “proof” enough.

- Unsigned

Hi, I have information on a owner who neglects their dogs, beats and abuses them. I’m not exactly sure how to do this this is my first time. I don’t have proof, a video or picture but I do have eyes and I witnessed this all happening. I also have a friend who saw it happening. Because the owner of the dog was a friend no longer in communication with her though. I called the bcspca for a case, me and 2 other people. Seems that they can’t do anything without actually actually proof of it happening at the moment. All I can do is give them the information I had with what I remember and the time it was around.

Animal Advocates sent this email to the BC SPCA:

This account speaks to the matter of a lack in the PCA Act so that the SPCA can’t charge a person with cruelty based on witnesses’ reports, for example in the below email account and in the matter of the beaten Boston Terrier in Cowichan, where the beating was very public and where there were several willing witnesses.

I don’t know enough law to know if the Hong-Kong’s section 4 could allow also for the seizure of the allegedly beaten animal.  I would hope so.

Can you please reply with any information or opinion that the SPCA has regarding the usefulness of Hong-Kong’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance, Section 4 and whether the SPCA is considering, or will consider, asking for an amendment to the PCA Act that would allow the SPCA to arrest the beater and seize the beaten animal?

- Judy Stone, North Vancouver, BC

This story has been updated with more information.

When in 2011 news of the slaughter of as many as 100 off-season sled dogs after the Whistler Winter Olympics in 2010 hit the internet, the BC Liberal government tried to douse the world-wide conflagration of rage with impressive-sounding regulations around the keeping of sled dogs.  Followers of this stage-show were not impressed with many aspects of the regulations. (Read the regulations)

The regulations seemed produced more to protect the Liberal government from the rage and to divert attention away from the BCSPCA, which could have prevented the slaughter, than to protect sled dogs

The Whistler News has never let this story drop and now presents the evidence that reveals that the regulations have no teeth – and it seems – no enforcement.

Read the Whistler News story at 70 Sled Dogs Disappear From Mount Currie Facility

- Judy Stone, North Vancouver, BC

Could Hong-Kong’s Animal Cruelty laws have been used to arrest the beaten Boston Terrier’s owner?

Back story:  April 23, 2013 Cowichan BC: Chris Davies and other witnesses saw a man beating his Boston Terrier (read whole story).  In spite of there being willing witnesses the SPCA was unable to arrest the dog’s beater.
But Section 4 of the Hong-Kong Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance may have made it possible for the SPCA to arrest the terrier’s owner.

Section: 4 Power of arrests, seizure, entry and search
(1) Any senior veterinary officer, any other officer of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the grade of Field Officer II and above and authorized in writing by the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, health officer, health inspector or police officer may arrest without warrant any person who he has reason to believe is guilty of an offence against section 3 or against any regulation under this Ordinance, whether upon his own view thereof or upon the complaint and information of any other person.  

If that means that the police and/or the SPCA could have arrested the Terrier’s beater on the information given by witnesses without there being proof of
distress, then perhaps the section should be added to the BC PCA Act.

~ Judy Stone, North Vancouver, BC

Could wording in the Hong-Kong Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance be used to ban rodeo in BC?  The Honk-Kong law specifies that being “infuriated” and “terrified” are against the law. Rodeo animals are “infuriated” and “terrified” into performing by the use of  goads such as chinches, electric prods, and spurs.  The  BC Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act’s definition of distress (cruelty) does not specify “infuriated” or “terrified”. If it did, could it be used to shut down rodeos in BC?
Hong-Kong Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance Section: 3
(1)   Any person who-
(a) cruelly beats, kicks, ill-treats, over-rides, over-drives, overloads, tortures, infuriates, or terrifies any animal, or causes or procures or, being the owner, permits any animal to be so used, or, by wantonly or unreasonably doing or omitting to do any act, causes any unnecessary suffering or, being the owner, permits any unnecessary suffering to be so caused to any animal.

All the Hong-Kong definitions of cruelty, even “infuriates” and “terrifies”, are generally covered in the BC Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act under its definitions of distress, specifically “suffering” and “abused”.  (http://www.spca.bc.ca/assets/documents/cruelty/pca-act.pdf):
BC PCA Act:(2) For the purposes of this Act, an animal is in distress if it is
(a) deprived of adequate food, water, shelter, ventilation, light, space, exercise, care or veterinary
treatment,
(a.1) kept in conditions that are unsanitary,
(a.2) not protected from excessive heat or cold,
(b) injured, sick, in pain or suffering, or
(c) abused or neglected.

But “infuriates” and “terrifies” may be hard to prove as “distress” in a BC court.  Animal Advocates Society would like to see “infuriates” and “terrifies” added to the above definitions of distress in the BC PCA Act.

Hong-Kong Penalties ….shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of $200,000 and to imprisonment for 3 years.
BC’s  summary conviction penalties are $75,000 and/or 2 years.

~ Judy Stone, Vancouver BC

 Dear AAS,   I found her smashed and broken on the side of the road. She had no collar and no ID just as though she had no reality – a RESERVE THROW-AWAY DOG. I put a collar and a tag on her when I picked her up just to give her a moment of someone caring that she existed. I named her Miss Daisy – no reason really.

It was so horrible. But I stroked her and talked softly to her while he administered the final injection.
Then I lit a candle for her when I got home.”

AAS comments:  If only there was a big network of rescuers taking all unwanted dogs off the reserves Miss Daisy’s short life wouldn’t have ended so sadly.I believe that if the hundreds of women, who are so self-importantly importing dogs from the U.S. and Iran and Mexico and Taiwan and many other countries and other provinces, would band together to clean up the reserves with free spay/neuter, take the unwanted and uncared for dogs, and to pull all the dogs out of our own high-kill pounds, we can make our province “NO DOG KILL  BC”.

But would that get the media stories lavish in their praise of the importers? And short on questions about BC dogs dying like Miss Daisy.  And short on question about the standards of care of the imported dogs once they get here.  And short on questions about the money.

Watch for more.

- Judy Stone, Vancouver, BC

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A dog that died in this year’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race asphyxiated while getting buried in snow during severe wind, officials said Saturday.

“Dorado and all other dropped dogs were last checked at 3:00 a.m. on Friday morning. Between that time and daylight, drifting snow covered several dogs and Dorado was found to be deceased,” race officials said in a statement.

“The entire Iditarod family is mourning this loss. We ask that you support Paige and her family during this difficult time.”

Race officials have declined to talk in detail about the incident, The Anchorage Daily News reported. http://bit.ly/Wqr4c7

It is not unusual for mushers to leave dogs at race checkpoints and continue on the trail. Dogs are left behind if they are sick or injured, or tired and not keeping up with the team. The dogs are placed in dog lots, where they are cared for until they can be flown to Anchorage for pickup. Race Marshal Mark Nordman had said the weather delayed efforts to get dropped dogs to Anchorage.

Drobny’s husband, Cody Strathe, said in an email to The Associated Press that he and his wife were waiting to find out more.

“We are awaiting results of the official necropsy as we do not know what occurred, but are deeply saddened,” Strathe said. Their website describes the 55-pound Dorado as a “shy but happy dog” who last year completed the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race.

Fifty-five pounds is very tiny to be made to work so hard.  Rest in Peace dear unlucky little Dorado.

Read much more at the SledDogWatchdog blog: http://sleddogwatchdog.wordpress.com/

- Judy Stone, Vancouver, BC

This photo is not of the dog described

Hello AAS,

I know a family who has a young neutered golden retriever. One of the parents doesn’t like the dog and the dog’s behaviour is affected by it (he goes to the bathroom on beds, chewing woodwork).

I think this is due to the fact that the parent who doesn’t like the dog, is home with the dog all day and keeps him in the cage, since the dog gets on her nerves. I feel sick to my stomach to see the dog either tied to a table, or caged. 

They asked me to help them find a new home. How would I go about it?

In order to forestall these people from selling the pup on Craigs List, or giving it away for free, I immediately offered to pose as a person whose much-loved Retriever had died recently, who would like to adopt their dog. I suggested to the complainant that she tell the owners that I would be happy to pay them for their costs and to allow them to inspect my home.

And then… silence. I will send all the information to the SPCA. Perhaps it can use its law enforcement powers to help this young dog.

This unanswered email is the first in the “Tell and Run” series.

This is not the dog reported in the email to us, but he is a dog who no one helped and he was killed

February 25, 2013

Hello AA,

I am in the central Island near north Nanaimo, in a small community called  Lantzville.  I am aware of at least one young dog who is not being well treated and has been put at a young age into a backyard prison…no walks and left out at all hours without a bed or doggie house. She is approx 7 mos old.

I wondered if there were any AA people around here with whom I could consult on this matter? It bothers me every day since I have to walk by her. She is a lovely and loving dog. There are actually many folks around here who keep ‘back yard prisoner’ dogs…no walks ever. It makes me sick.
I wondered if there was anyone in your org who could help them or suggest any interventions?

thanks very much,
C  

I have twice emailed back asking for more information, but have heard no more.  I can’t let this pup suffer so I have sent the email with the writer’s email address, to the SPCA.  Perhaps it can use its law enforcement powers to get the location of the pup and help it.

Captain in the dumpster in Kitsilano

By now you probably know about Captain’s story. He’s the two-year-old German Shepherd that died shortly after being discovered in a dumpster in Kitsilano. He had been beaten nearly to death and left to die in that dumpster.

If you are a BC resident, please speak out against animal cruelty and help get justice for Captain by printing and signing our petition. Then mail it to us (mailing address is on the petition) and we’ll send it to Crown. If you add your email address to the petition we’ll email you whenever we have news about Captain’s case. Please let people know that we will not use their email address for any purpose other than to update them about Captain.

Thank you so much for petitioning for tougher sentences for animal abusers. We hope that tougher sentencing will prevent future tragedies like this.

- Judy Stone, Vancouver, BC