A Niagara Falls, Ont. man is facing charges in connection with the abandonment of five puppies along the Niagara Parkway in late December.
Niagara Regional Police says the 63-year-old accused, identified in a release, is facing an offence for killing an animal other than cattle and four counts of causing unnecessary pain to an animal.
The puppies arrived at the Niagara SPCA and Humane Society on Dec. 28 after a passerby heard the dogs around frigid river waters adjacent to the parkway and Edgeworth Road.
“They were visiting from out of town, had parked their car in a nearby parkette and heard the puppies when they stepped out of their vehicle,” a Niagara Parks Police spokesperson said in a release. “The visitors recovered five puppies and were attempting to warm them inside their vehicle while alerting authorities.”
Investigators say one of the puppies succumbed to the elements.
The investigation determined that seven Shar-Pei mix puppies were abandoned on December 28, 2023.
Four remain in the care of the Niagara SPCA, one was deceased when officers attended the initial scene, and two are unaccounted for.
The puppies, believed to be six to eight weeks old, came SPCA care in “rough condition,” all with body temperatures too low to be measured.
There are three surviving males and one female, with all expected to make full recoveries.
The agency has reached out for donations from the public to fund their care.
John Greer, executive director of the Niagara SPCA and Humane Society, said abandonment is something they saw around six or seven times over the past year with the most “disheartening” aspect being the animals dumped in places where people don’t typically go.
“It is becoming more common,” Greer revealed.
“This can lead to a horrible death for these animals that don’t know how to survive and potentially exposed to predators in more visible areas.”
Pet surrenders are something Greer says are also common in recent times and is often accompanied by a conversation around the cost of maintaining a pet.
The agency is currently caring for some 60 dogs and 77 cats.
The animal welfare agency is doing everything to keep pets with their owners and says there are options for owners “dealing with a hardship.”
Their “Haven for Companions” program takes animals in temporarily while an owner deals with their issues.
“We bring the animal into our care for 30 days while that person sort of figures out what’s going on with them,” Greer explained.
“It’s all free of charge, they’re seen by our in-house veterinarian, vaccinated and we house them for 30 days and extend on a case-by-case basis.”
It’s expected the Shar-peis will be adoptable in some four to six weeks, “if everything continues to go well,” said Greer.
Niagara police say the investigation is ongoing and are still seeking information on the incident.