SPCA seizes 36 dogs in 'atrocious' conditions on Island

Kim Westad
Victoria Times Colonist

Thursday, January 30, 2003

Thirty-six Lhasa apso dogs, 14 chickens and three geese were seized from a Vancouver Island home this week after SPCA officials found the creatures living in "atrocious" conditions.

"It was as bad as anything I've ever seen and I've worked here for 18 years. It's probably the worst," Irene Towell, Port Alberni SPCA branch manager, said Wednesday.

Charges under the Criminal Code or the provincial Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act are being considered against a couple who lived in the home.

Five SPCA protection officers, four RCMP officers and a veterinarian removed all the dogs from the property, as well as the chickens and geese, after receiving a complaint from a "concerned citizen."

The officers found one dead dog and at least five dead chickens. The birds were buried in chicken feces.

Some of the dogs lived inside the home in small crates, others roamed the house, while more were in an outbuilding in wire cages and makeshift kennels.

Lhasa apsos are small, sassy lapdogs, known for their long, luxurious hair.

But the dogs found were emaciated, dehydrated, flea-ridden and some so matted, it was hard to tell they were dogs, Towell said. Some were unable to walk because their paws were so matted, and a few are blind.

Most were found in living spaces covered with feces and urine. A few of the dogs had water, but it wasn't drinkable, Towell said. There was no food when the officers searched the home.

"We haven't determined yet if it was a puppy mill," Towell said. "That's not the important thing right now. What is important is there were 36 dogs living in unacceptable conditions."

The chickens found on site have been relocated, as have the geese.

Just what shape the dogs are in remains to be seen.

"When a dog is covered in more than its own body weight in matted hair that is soaked with urine and feces, it leads to other skin conditions," Towell said.

Some of the dogs are very friendly, while others are not, she said. They range in age from young adults to older animals.

Towell said she is hopeful the dogs can be saved.

"We haven't been able to do a full veterinary work-up yet.

"Obviously, the goal is to bring the dogs back to a healthy state and place them in loving homes, but that remains to be seen."

The Lhasa apsos will be kept at the Port Alberni SPCA. To make room for the influx of 36 dogs, other dogs will have to be moved to other animal shelters.

The Port Alberni SPCA is also looking for help in constructing temporary shelters that would be used for large outdoor dogs, freeing up room inside for the sickly Lhasa apsos.

Anyone convicted of cruelty to animals is liable to a maximum of six months in jail, although the maximum sentence is rarely given, and a fine of up to $2,000.

A person can also be banned from having animals for a specific period of time, said Craig Daniell, general manager of the SPCA's cruelty investigation unit.

Lhasa apsos are believed to have been bred in the seventh century in Tibet. Their main purpose was to guard the interior of temples.

Although small -- usually less than 30 centimetres in height and weighing about six kilograms -- their protective nature makes them a feisty little watchdog.

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