Nova Scotia SPCA says two individuals have been sentenced for charges relating to animal cruelty in unrelated incidents.
One individual is 66-year-old Hans Geser from Cambridge, N.S.
Geser was charged in May 2019 for permitting an animal to be in distress and failing to provide adequate medical attention.
The SPCA was called on April 26, 2019 about a dog that was outside with porcupine quills in his face and officers found a large dog in distress.
“When the owner refused to seek treatment, the dog was seized and immediately taken for medical care,” read the SPCA release. “The dog endured three surgeries to remove the buried quills.”
After a full recovery, the dog was given to a new home.
Geser was convicted on Jan. 18, 2021 and was fined $50 in total.
The second individual is 57-year-old David Oakley from Pictou County.
Oakley was charged in February 2019 with willfully killing, maiming, wounding, poisoning, or injuring a dog, as well as willfully causing unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to a dog.
On Feb. 14, 2019, RCMP and the N.S. SPCA responding to reports of animal abuse found numerous puppies and one adult dog dead on the property.
Another dog was found to be in critical distress and was taken in for emergency care. One other small dog and a guinea pig were also removed from the property.
The injured dog made a full recovery and was adopted out. The two other animals have also been rehomed.
Oakley was convicted on Jan. 25, 2021, and given a lifetime prohibition order on owning animals. He is also facing a 21-month conditional sentence, including 12 months spent under house arrest.
“The Nova Scotia SPCA has a zero-tolerance policy for animal cruelty and neglect,” the release read.
The SPCA encourages anyone who suspects animal neglect or abuse to report the incident by calling 1-888-703-7722, e-mailing animals@spcans.ca or filling out an online form.
All reports are confidential, SPCA says.