Puppy left for five days with broken leg

dog

A 19-year-old Chatham resident has been charged with two counts of animal cruelty under the Ontario SPCA Act for failing to provide veterinary attention for a nine-week-old puppy that jumped from a moving car and broke its leg.

OSPCA officials say on July 18, 2016, an Ontario SPCA officer attended a residence in Chatham after receiving a call about a small white puppy with a broken leg. The officer discovered a nine-week-old male puppy, thought to be a Shepherd/Great Pyrenees cross, with his left leg clearly broken. The puppy’s owner told the officer that it had jumped out of a moving car five days before. She had taken it to a veterinarian following the incident, but did not follow treatment recommended by the veterinarian.

The officer issued an Ontario SPCA Act Order to have the animal immediately examined by a veterinarian and to follow their treatment recommendations. After a consultation with the veterinarian, the accused indicated she could not afford treatment for the puppy, which was subsequently seized by the Ontario SPCA for non-compliance of the Order.

The puppy was provided with pain medication and, after undergoing x-rays to determine the extent of its injuries, had its leg amputated at the recommendation of the treating veterinarian. The puppy was later relinquished to the Ontario SPCA and has since been adopted into a new home.

“There is no excuse when it comes to failing to care for your animals,” says Carol Vanderheide, Regional Inspector, Ontario SPCA. “If you are having difficulty providing care for your animals, contact the Ontario SPCA to discuss your options.”

The accused is charged with causing distress to animal and failing to provide adequate and appropriate medical attention. She is due to appear in the Chatham Provincial Offences Act court on November 2, 2016.

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