Friday, December 30, 2016

Canada: Unnamed man found guilty of animal cruelty after trapping squirrel in humane trap and then leaving it to cook to death in the cage

CANADA -- A Marmora, Ont., man has been found guilty of animal cruelty after the squirrel he kept in cage under the hot, summer sun died of severe dehydration, according to the Ontario SPCA.

The Ontario SPCA said it received a report of a "squirrel in distress" a home in Marmora, about 31 miles (50 kilometers) north of Belleville, on Aug. 24, 2016.

An SPCA officer found a squirrel, which appeared unconscious and gasping for breath, in captivity in complete sun exposure in the 84 degree (29 C) heat.

The squirrel died en route to an animal hospital, the SPCA said. A necropsy revealed the squirrel died of "severe dehydration due to exposure," according to the SPCA.

The 34-year-old was fined $1,000 after being found guilty of permitting distress to an animal under the Ontario SPCA Act, in a Belleville court on Dec. 19.

"Live trapping may seem like an immediate and easy fix to your wildlife problem, but it is only a temporary solution," Steve Toy, a senior inspector, with the Ontario SPCA said in a news release.

"Homeowners should take action to determine what attracted the animal to their property and remove or repair the sources of attraction."

(CBC - Dec 30, 2016)

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