VANCOUVER – A Colwood man was sentenced to six months in jail for causing unnecessary pain and suffering to an animal and failing to provide necessities for the animal.
The BC SPCA called this case a “horrific” example of dog abuse.
Joseph White was accused of beating the family dog, Bryn, a female pit bull mix, so badly that her ability to walk was affected.
Following a cruelty investigation, White was convicted and found guilty on two counts under the Criminal Code of Canada.
White was sentenced to six months in jail for count one, two months in jail for count two (concurrent), and is also prohibited from owning any animals for 10 years.
“While it is very hard to say in violent cases of animal abuse like this one what a satisfactory sentence would be, we can say that at least he got jail time and a significant ban on owning animals,” said Marcie Moriarty, BC SPCA chief prevention and enforcement officer, in a release.
“When she came into our care Bryn had extensive injuries to her head, torso, legs and teeth. Her skin was split open on the top of her head and she had bruising around the right side of that injury, as well as a swelling and broken front leg, lacerations under her left armpit and abrasions on her front right leg,” said BC SPCA Constable Erika Paul in 2014. “Bryn also had significant bruising to the right side of her torso, a broken canine tooth and was experiencing neurological deficits that impacted her back legs, making it hard for her to stand or move around.”
White did not seek medical care for Bryn until the BC SPCA became aware of what happened to the dog the following day. Bryn was rushed in for emergency treatment and a formal investigation was launched into what happened.
After months of recovery, Bryn regained her ability to walk and was eventually adopted by her foster family, who fell in love with her.
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