CANADA -- As he recovers from his injuries the future is looking brighter for Justice, the small Patterdale Terrier found bound and left to die in a field late last week.
The outpouring of support from the community has been overwhelming, Windsor-Essex Humane Society executive director Melanie Coulter said after charges were announced in the animal abuse case on the weekend.
Windsor police officers arrested Michael Earl Hill, 32, of Amherstburg, Friday evening at the humane society. A staff member had called police when several people showed up to retrieve the injured dog.
Hill is not the owner of the dog, police said. He has been charged with wilfully causing unnecessary pain and suffering or injury to an animal. He is to remain in custody until a bail hearing can be held, likely sometime this week.
Because the case is still under investigation, neither the police nor Coulter would discuss who owns the dog or why Hill allegedly had the animal in his possession.
The 13-pound dog was found bound at the feet and mouth with electrical tape, which caused extreme swelling that was slowly cutting off his airway. He was left to die in a field near the Canadian Tire on Walker Road.
Dean Cresswell, 47, discovered Justice lying in the grass around 1 p.m. Thursday as he walked his dogs beside the store.
“I had gone shopping at the Canadian Tire, came out and the dogs were in my vehicle so I thought I’d give them a little walk,” Cresswell said of his two huskies, Bandit and Phoenix.
“For some reason they went down further than they normally do … so I went to see where they were at and I saw the little head poke up. That’s when I saw the little dog.
“I don’t want to say too much because I’m going to get all upset again.”
To his dismay, he couldn’t release the dog’s bindings because he didn’t have scissors or a knife with him when he found Justice, Cresswell said. But police assured him it was better that he didn’t because the dog may have tried to run away.
He was later told by police the dog will make a full recovery, he said.
The Windsor resident called his dogs “heroes” for their discovery.
Coulter, of the humane society, said Justice is improving; he is bright, alert and eating well.
There have been more than 100 requests to adopt Justice and people have been dropping by or going online to donate to the cost of his care, she said.
As of late Sunday, an online GoFundMe campaign had raised $998.
“He’s obviously touched a lot of people so we’re hearing from a lot of people,” Coulter said.
Justice will need more medical care.
“Because some of the dead skin is starting to slough off there is a potential that he might need skin grafts on his jaw,” Coulter said. “At this point, we’re just taking it day by day.
“Our medical team are doing everything they can … to get him well. But his injuries are definitely more serious than they first appeared.”
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| Little Justice has since recovered |
He has also tested positive for heartworm.
Donations can be made directly to the Windsor-Essex County Humane Society.
(Windsor Star - Dec 20, 2015)
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