Winnipeg Free Press
Shelter plans to press charges after dog injured

Sat Aug 11 2007

By Jen Skerritt

KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Fipper: wounds healing slowly
An animal shelter is hoping to press charges against the North End family who may have deliberately doused their German shepherd-cross with chemicals.

Five-year-old Fipper was turned over to Machray Animal Hospital last week by two children who live with their family in the Maples. Fipper was 25 pounds underweight and suffering from second-degree burns to almost 80 per cent of her head.

A veterinarian chose to transfer the sickly dog to D'Arcy's ARC animal rescue shelter instead of putting her down.

Shelter owner D'Arcy Johnston said Fipper is the third animal suffering from severe abuse he's seen this year -- a disturbing trend he said is far too common.

Johnston said they are still investigating the cause of Fipper's serious injuries and will definitely pursue criminal charges against whoever is responsible. He estimates Fipper was left outside in agony with the chemical burns for three days before she received medical attention.

Her wounds were infected and covered in bugs and filth.

"It's not unusual to see all this animal abuse, the problem is, nobody really cares enough to take it to the next level... In some neighbourhoods, (when something happens) people look away," Johnston said.

"The amount of animal cruelty cases we've seen this year in our shelter is on the rise."

Under the Criminal Code, an animal-cruelty conviction can result in six months in jail and/or a $2,000 fine.

Johnston said Fipper's owners are in the process of moving to Calgary. The parents of the two children were out of town at the time Fipper was signed over to the animal hospital.

The canine's story has sparked a huge response from the public -- D'Arcy's ARC has received more than $1,000 in donations since Thursday. Johnston said a local hospital and local firefighters have also donated the pricey bandages Fipper needs to cover the infected wounds on her face.

The shelter has paid for the cost of Fipper's medical treatment out-of-pocket.

Johnston said it will likely take between three and four weeks for the cheerful pooch to recover. She's already started eating five cups of food a day and wagging her tail at shelter staff.

The shelter still hasn't decided whether she'll be put up for adoption or become one their much-adored full-time animals.
"She's wonderful," Johnston said. "She's wagging her tail. She's very responsive, she's kissing.

"It's almost like her way of saying 'thank you.'"

Aside from animal abuse, Johnston said D'Arcy's ARC has also seen a 10 per cent increase in the number of unwanted or homeless pets from last year.