Edmonton police charge 2 people in connection with dog abuse investigation

WARNING: This article contains disturbing content.

A man and woman face criminal charges in connection with two different animal abuse incidents in Edmonton, police said Wednesday.

The investigation began when police were called to an animal abuse complaint at Kittlitz Park in southeast Edmonton on Dec. 26.

In a news release, police said 45-year-old Steven Kuzyk, and 43-year-old Sharon Vert are accused of failing to provide adequate care to an animal, wilfully causing pain and suffering to an animal and causing death to an animal.

“Residents had reportedly located the remains of a three-year-old medium-sized, male German Shepherd/Pitbull mix that had its paws bound,” police said. They added surveillance video gathered from the area “showed a suspect dragging the dog and leaving him in the park.”

Police said they believe the dog was dead at the time he was being dragged.

“The condition of the animal when the officers found it led the officers to believe that (there’s) something very, very suspicious about this,” Sgt. Olena Fedorovich said at a news conference last month.

READ MORE: Edmonton police investigate dead dog found in The Meadows park with paws bound

The second incident had EPS make a house call to a home in the southeast Edmonton community of Meadowbrook on Feb. 7. Police said they received reports regarding concerns that a four-month-old female German Shepard mix may have been abused.

“Officers investigated acts of abuse that were alleged to have occurred on Jan. 21, 2023,” police said. “The female dog has since been transferred to an appropriate care facility for animals.”

Anyone with any information about either incident is asked to call the Edmonton Police Service at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at http://www.p3tips.com/250.

–With files from Stephanie Swensrude, 630 CHED