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Two people have now been charged with animal cruelty after a dog was found in critical distress on their property.
BC SPCA officers have called it “one of the most profoundly shocking and disturbing cases of abuse we have ever witnessed.”
Special constables received a call about an emaciated and chained dog on Feb. 16. When they arrived at the home, what they found shocked them.
“We received a report of a dog in distress and when the constables arrived at the property they found a medium-sized brown dog on a tether that was only a few inches long, standing in a large pile of mud and feces,” says Marcie Moriarty, chief prevention and enforcement officer for the BC SPCA in a release.
“As they got closer there was an overpowering stench and they realized that, not only was the dog severely emaciated, but his collar was deeply embedded into his neck, causing massive infection.”
His head was so swollen, it was about three times its normal size.
“The constables used bolt cutters to free the dog and immediately rushed him to an emergency veterinary clinic,” says Moriarty. “The wound from the embedded collar exposed the dog’s trachea and jugular vein – it was horrific.”
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Sadly, the dog did not make it despite extensive surgery and around-the-clock care.
He died two days later.
“This kind of appalling neglect and cruelty is sickening and absolutely unacceptable in our society,” says Moriarty.
Anderson Joe and Melissa Tooshley of Duncan have now been charged with animal cruelty under the Criminal Code of Canada.
If convicted, Joe and Tooshley face a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, a $10,000 fine and up to a lifetime ban on owning animals.
To help B.C.’s animals in need, you can donate directly to the BC SPCA.