Charges of animal cruelty have now been approved against the owners of an 18-month-old shepherd-cross named Molly.
Molly was found on Nov. 25 tied up to her owner’s porch in Port Hardy. She was extremely emaciated and near death. Her collar was embedded so deep into her neck it had to be surgically removed.
Officers were originally called to the home following a complaint of animal cruelty.
“The constable immediately rushed Molly to a nearby veterinary hospital, where staff provided emergency treatment to keep her alive and removed the embedded collar from her neck,” says Marcie Moriarty, the BC SPCA’s chief prevention and enforcement officer.
Rupert Wilson and Crystal Bee of the Fort Rupert Reserve face charges under the Criminal Code of Canada following a BC SPCA investigation.
Molly has been recovering since November in an SPCA foster home, where her condition and nutritional needs have been closely monitored. “We are keeping her at the foster home so that she can have continuity of care. She is still too thin, but she is recovering and her weight has increased from 12.2 kilograms to 18.8 kilograms,” says Moriarty. “Once she is strong enough for a transition we do have a permanent home waiting for her.”
Moriarty says it is impossible to comprehend how anyone could allow a dog to slowly, and excruciatingly, starve to death. “We rescue thousands of animals from heartbreaking situations every year at the SPCA, but cases like this are particularly shocking,” she says. “The fact that Molly has survived is a true miracle and we are so grateful to the RCMP, the veterinary staff in Port Hardy and Nanaimo, SPCA donors who have supported her care and all those who have played a role in her rescue and recovery.”
The BC SPCA depends on community donations to fund its cruelty investigations work. To find out how you can make a difference for animals in need, visit spca.bc.ca.
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