The Calgary Humane Society (CHS) responded to an animal abuse sentence handed down in Provincial Court Monday morning.
Jamie O’Leary and Janice Piper were each handed a $2,500 fine and given a lifetime ban on owning animals in connection to a case that dates back to 2014.
In a statement Monday afternoon, Brad Nichols, senior manager of animal cruelty investigations, said the CHS hopes this sentence will act as a deterrent to others.
“Medical concerns must be addressed by animal owners. Ignoring the basic needs and suffering of animals will not be tolerated.”
READ MORE: Severely neglected bulldog dies during surgery, officials hunt for owners
A white female bulldog cross was found wandering around a strip mall in Ogden on Sept. 5, 2014. She was in very rough shape with large wounds on her face and hind, as well as ear and eye infections.
A Good Samaritan, who described the dog as being very friendly, brought her to a clinic. In the absence of any identification, the clinic nicknamed her Ruby.
The CHS put out pictures of Ruby in hopes of finding her owner(s), and eventually learned she was one of several animals who had been abused.
Ruby died from her injuries while on the operating table.
Three Calgarians were subsequently charged: Jamie O’Leary, Janice Piper and Michelle Caswell.
According to the CHS, Caswell pleaded guilty to her part in the neglect, was given a $1,500 fine and will never be allowed to own more than two animals.
READ MORE: Three charged in death of injured dog found wandering in Calgary
Eleven animals were taken from a Dover home in various states of neglect, including seven dogs, a rabbit and three bearded dragons.
Nichols described Ruby’s condition as being one of the most extreme cases he has ever dealt with.
“The dog that initiated this investigation was one of the most brutally neglected I have seen in all my years doing this work.”
According to the CHS’s Sage Pullen McIntosh, the maximum fine for animal abuse in Alberta is $20,000.
GALLERY: Photos of ‘Ruby’ the bulldog
(WARNING – These images are graphic and may offend some viewers)
With files from Melissa Gilligan
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