Canada: Nine-year-old girl mauled at animal shelter during "meet and greet". Dad finds out later shelter knew dog was aggressive

CANADA -- When a Beaumont family took a trip to the Edmonton Humane Society on Sunday, they didn't expect it would end with a visit to the hospital.

Brett Powlesland said his nine-year-old daughter was injured at the animal shelter on the city's north side when she was attacked by a large dog in a room on the adoption floor. The Humane Society is investigating the incident.

Powlesland said his family was at the shelter on a visit because his niece wanted to pet kittens for her birthday.

He said the dog was friendly when he gave it a scratch before bringing his daughter into the room, but when it saw the child, its temperament changed.

"He looked up at her, saw her face, and then it was like lightning fast. The very next thing that happened was he had her left arm right in his mouth," Powlesland told CBC News.

He said he tore the dog off his daughter — possibly the wrong move, as she was cut where the canine's teeth had dug into her skin.

As the pair tried to escape the room, the dog managed to take hold of the girl's other arm.

"I this time put my hands in his mouth, and pried its jaw open and freed my daughter's arm," Powlesland said. "And we finally got her out of the room."

But she shouldn't have been allowed in the room in the first place, he said.

Dog had known "behavioral issues"
The girl received stitches at hospital.

The humane society shared the dog's records with medical staff. The file contained information on the dog's immunization history and also had details on behavioural issues, Powlesland said.

"My daughter probably should not have been let in that room. The record for the dog explained that he has issues with aggression, that he has [attacked] other dogs," he said.

Edmonton Humane Society spokesperson Jaime Caza confirmed the dog's records were given to the hospital, but did not confirm their contents.

She said dogs with behavioral problems aren't permitted on the shelter's adoption floor.

"They go through a screening. They go through our system with our vets as well as with our behaviour team," Caza said. "And in a situation like this, there would be restrictions placed on age limits that can go in there."

Caza said the dog is no longer adoptable.

"He is in a bite quarantine, which is required by Alberta Health Services for 10 days," she said, noting that the shelter's investigation of the incident should be concluded by then.

Staff, volunteers and witnesses will be interviewed as part of the investigation, Caza said.

"I'm still looking into exactly what happened to see if it aligns with what should have happened in this situation, and making sure that the right pieces are in place so something like this is avoided at all costs again," she said.

Based on the results of the investigation, improved training, communications or staff supports could be implemented at the shelter.

Shelter claims it's 'an isolated incident'
Powlesland questioned whether the training staff receive is adequate. He said they weren't unwilling to help his daughter, but didn't appear to know how to respond with first aid.

"It's a good thing my wife and I are medical professionals and are trained in first aid because we were the only ones there that were doing anything," he said.

"It didn't seem like they had any type of contingency plan in place for this."

He posted about the experience on Facebook.

Caza said she couldn't comment on how staff responded to the incident, as she's still gathering information for the investigation. Staff receive different levels of training based on their positions, she said.

To her knowledge, this is the first time something like this has happened at the Edmonton Humane Society, she said.

"In no way does that minimize it. We're so sad and upset about this event, but it is a very isolated incident. But that being said, this is an opportunity for us to learn," she said.

"We're working very closely with the family to make sure that the child is supported and providing what we can."

Powlesland said he's pleased with how the humane society has since handled the incident. He said they offered support to help his daughter reintegrate with pets, though she was still happy to see the family's dog Paco when she got home from the hospital.

"She's already given him a big hug," he said.

"She's not going to be afraid of all dogs, maybe just dogs she doesn't know."

As far as visiting other dogs at the shelter in the future — "that's definitely not going to be happening," he said.

(CBC - February 8, 2018)

Illinois: Animal Care and Control Chief orders pit bull that attacked her to be euthanized

ILLINOIS -- The $130,008-a-year executive director of Chicago’s chronically troubled and overcrowded Animal Care and Control shelter was rushed to a hospital over the Christmas holidays after a pit bull she was walking took a chunk out of her arm and leg.

Contacted Tuesday, Susan Russell said she did not “particularly wish to discuss” the Dec. 22 incident that required a co-worker to summon an ambulance to transport her to the hospital.

Nor would she explain why she ordered the pit bull that bit her euthanized immediately, in apparent violation of city protocols for dog-biting incidents. The dog had been picked up as a stray just eight days before the incident.

Jenny Schlueter, an assistant to the director, said the dog that attacked Russell was euthanized “to protect public safety.”

Schlueter insisted that “all proper protocols” were followed.

“When a dog bites a human, CACC must make a decision as to whether an animal is safe to adopt out directly to the public or transfer to a rescue organization. Given the nature of this particular incident, CACC determined that this dog was a public safety risk, and the dog was euthanized,” Schlueter wrote in a follow-up email.

“Generally speaking, dogs are not immediately euthanized when they bite someone. They have to be deemed a dangerous animal. There are protocols that have to be followed,” said Alderman Ray Lopez (15th), an outspoken critic of conditions at the city pound at 2741 S. Western.

“The fact that it happened so quickly without any kind of fact-finding or determination, in my mind, raises questions about how well we are following the protocols set forth by the Animal Control Commission,” Lopez said. “This may have been an overreach — especially if the animal was just reacting to the stresses at the shelter.”

Jennifer Jurcak, a longtime volunteer at the city pound, accused Russell of applying a double standard to biting incidents.

“If you like the dog and it bites somebody, that dog could stay there. But since this dog bit you and you’re not happy with it, that dog immediately gets euthanized. She was dead that day. What’s fair for one should be fair for all,” Jurcak said.

Lopez warned that biting incidents are a mounting threat because of overcrowded conditions at the city pound that started long before temperatures dipped below zero.

“We have a shelter with close to 300 animals barking and stressed out because they’re not in a familiar environment and they’re not being socialized properly because they’re left in these cages for days on end,” Lopez said.

“When dogs become de-socialized — they revert back to more of an animalistic state,” he said. “They are going to be hyper-aggressive. That can put them on a more dangerous path. The over-population . . . will cause them to react in ways that are not healthy — either for them or the employees and volunteers.”

Jurcak agreed, adding, “When you walk past these cages and see these dogs, it’s like mental abuse. . . . This is inhumane. If you went there and did a walk-through, you would be appalled to see how these dogs are just like “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in the cage.”

In a series of recent Facebook posts, Russell has warned that the dog population at the city pound stands at 291, which is way “beyond capacity.”

“We need your help. The open admissions shelter continues to fill, but the dogs are not moving out. We have no place to put incoming dogs and we will need to make some very difficult decisions if things don’t change. We don’t want to do that,” one post states. “Rescues, please consider transferring dogs. Chicagoland, please consider adopting a local homeless animal today. We really need everyone’s help to save lives.”

The biting incident that injured Russell and could have been a whole lot worse occurred at about 7:30 a.m. on Dec. 22.

Russell was in the unloading area taking some of the dogs in portable kennels out for walks, as she claims to do on most other early mornings.

“I had taken the dog involved in the incident a couple of times previously without incident. He had signs of prior abuse. A healed neck where there appeared to be an embedded collar,” Russell wrote in the incident report forwarded to the Chicago Sun-Times by Jurcak, who obtained it through a Freedom of Information request.

“Although timid, he had not shown any signs of aggression. After I walked him, I tied him to one of the pen doors so I could straighten up his kennel. He began barking at the dog in the portable beside his portable. I went to untie him and move him from his post,” she said. “When I did this, he re-directed onto my right hand, causing a bite injury, and then onto my left leg, causing a bite injury. I was able to move away from the dog.”

Russell noted that a supervisor was able to “safely contain the dog on a bite pole” and an assistant was able to “assist in moving the dog.”

In November 2016, Lopez complained that three injured pit bulls were turned away from the city pound in violation of Chicago’s policy to accept dogs at any hour of the day or night so long as they are accompanied after hours by a uniformed police officer.

Russell acknowledged then that there was “some confusion with the security guards” and that “additional training” would be conducted to ensure city policy was being enforced.

But she made no apologies for the decision to turn away the three injured pit bulls.

“We don’t offer a 24-hour service to the public. We simply do not have the capacity to provide that kind of care overnight,” she said then.

Lopez used that incident to renew his push to shake up Animal Care and Control and “order” Chicago to become a “no-kill” city where animals brought to shelters are euthanized only if they are terminally ill.

(Chicago Sun Times - Jan 2, 2018)

Michigan: Cat left locked inside tote nearly freezes to death in -17 degree weather outside Humane Society

MICHIGAN -- An older male cat left outside the Humane Society of Midland County overnight nearly froze to death.

The organization posted on Facebook that someone dropped off the cat trapped inside a plastic tote outside the main entrance of its facility at 4371 E. Ashman St.

 

It was -11 degrees Fahrenheit that night; with the windchill it felt

like -17 degrees Fahrenheit. This poor cat is lucky he didn't freeze to

death, locked inside this plastic tote with nothing to keep him warm.

An employee found him Friday morning with feces frozen to his body.

"Leaving him like this in these elements could have killed him," the post says.

The cat was treated for hypothermia and is expected to make a full recovery, according to the Humane Society.

A sign in the window right outside where the cat was left warns against leaving animals unattended and even threatens legal action.

 

"We understand it's often hard to know what to do with stray animals but in these weather conditions this is never the answer!" the organization's Facebook post says.

The Humane Society pointed out the Midland Police Department will transport stray animals in need during the winter and volunteers are willing to pick up animals after hours.

Anyone in Midland County who finds an animal in distress in the evening, overnight or on weekends should call the Midland County Central Dispatch nonemergency number at (989) 839-6464 or message the Humane Society's Facebook page to ask for a referral.

(ABC12 - Dec 29, 2017)

New York: Auburn Puppy Thief William Butler Sentenced to Prison

NEW YORK -- A puppy thief in Cayuga County is heading to jail. Police say William Butler (aka Will Butler, Bill Butler) tried adopting a 10-week-old pit bull puppy in May at the Finger Lakes SPCA on York Street in Auburn.

The Citizen reports Butler’s application was denied, so police say he broke into the animal shelter and stole the puppy.

The little pup was found at Butler’s home in Union Springs a couple days later.

In October, Butler pleaded guilty to one count of burglary.

The 39-year-old was sentenced Thursday to serve two to four years in prison and will pay the SPCA 250-dollars in restitution.

(Finger Lakes Daily News - December 15, 2017)

Maine: ‘Oh, my God … She can’t control them,’ caller cries in tape of Winslow fatal Pit Bull attack

MAINE -- Surveillance video and a police 911 tape released Friday under a public records request reveal a harrowing account of two pit bulls attacking a woman and her small dog in Winslow.

The release of the tapes come as authorities continue to investigate the disappearance of the dangerous dogs this week just minutes after the state’s high court upheld their death sentence.

DO YOU RECOGNIZE THESE MAULERS? DANIELLE JONES

HAS STOLEN THEM FROM THE SHELTER AND HIDDEN THEM

TO TRY TO PREVENT THEM FROM BEING EUTHANIZED.

In the video, obtained by police from a nearby business, Sharron Carey can be seen last year walking down Lucille Avenue in Winslow around 12:40 p.m. with her Boston terrier, Fergie Rose.

Two giant gray pit bulls sprint across the front yard and to the road from behind a home, viciously attacking the small dog as its owner, Sharron Carey, tries to fight them off with her hands.

The dogs then attacked Carey, seriously injuring her.

“The dog’s dead — oh, my God,” a 911 caller and witness who reported the attack is heard saying in a separate police audio tape.

The chilling surveillance video and tape from Aug. 30, 2016, were obtained Friday by the Morning Sentinel under a Freedom of Access Act request to the Kennebec County District Attorney’s Office.

The witness, a neighbor who has called police, frantically tells a dispatcher that pit bulls are attacking a woman and that she needs help.

“This is awful,” the caller cries, as the dispatcher asks her to tell Carey that help is on the way.

The neighbor, who repeatedly gasps and cries out, “Oh, my God,” throughout the tape, tells the dispatcher that people are trying to get the dogs off the woman and then says, “The owner is there … she can’t control them.”

The caller thought three dogs were mauling the small dog, but the third dog was later determined to not be involved in the attack.

The video tape shows the pit bulls’ owner, Danielle Jones, appearing from the side and going up the steps to her house. She turns around and simply stands there - as though she doesn't know what to do about her two Pit Bulls that are attacking a woman and tearing her beloved little dog into pieces. 

The Pit Bulls can be seen latched onto the dog and thrashing it around the front yard and roadside.

Shortly thereafter, a police cruiser pulls up. Dogs are seen throughout the video, running around the lawn. Eventually, Jones leads one of the dogs into the house.

Two pit bulls in the attack were later declared dangerous by a court and ordered to be euthanized. Jones appealed the case and the Maine Supreme Judicial Court on Tuesday upheld that court ruling.

But the pit bulls, Kole and Bentley, remained nowhere to be found Friday, three days after Jones CLAIMED they had slipped their leashes and escaped as she was walking them outside the Webb Road animal shelter Tuesday afternoon.

Waterville police are investigating the case and Waterville police Chief Joseph Massey says it is doubtful the dogs actually slipped their leashes and are running loose.

“We’re still working on it and hopefully, we can come up with them,” Massey said Friday of the missing dogs.

The dogs had been held at the Humane Society Waterville Area animal shelter.

Michael Brown, president of the board of directors for the Humane Society Waterville Area, said Friday morning that he is not sure if there are rules regarding whether the owner of a dog deemed dangerous is allowed to come to the shelter and walk it outside, as Jones had apparently been allowed to do. Tuesday was not the first time Jones had come to walk the pit bulls — she had walked them outside the shelter on previous occasions, according to police.

“We’re looking into all those policies,” Brown said Friday morning. “I can’t tell you right now what the answer is to that, unfortunately. I know we’re looking into that.”

But Brown reiterated what he said Thursday about the Humane Society’s commitment to work with authorities to ensure the public and other animals are kept safely.

“As for the public safety, we’re going to work with the police departments and with the state of Maine to make sure we’re in compliance with any of those rules,” he said.

MAINE GOVERNOR PAUL LEPAGE BASICALLY CALLS THE PIT BULL OWNER, DANIELLE JONES, A LYING POS

Gov. Paul LePage said in a phone conversation Friday that state officials are looking into the situation.

There’s “no question,” he said, that Jones knows where the dogs are and that she knew the court’s decision before she took them out of the shelter for a “walk.”

“I believe she’s on the lam with the dogs,” LePage said.

He also said he thinks Jones took the dogs out before Humane Society officials became aware of the court’s decision.

“She really was slick,” he said.

Winslow police Chief Shawn O’Leary says he suspects the dogs’ disappearance was a “coordinated effort.” Winslow police, he said, will work with Waterville police on the case with whatever they need.

O’Leary said that the town of Winslow will still have stray animals brought to the Waterville shelter, but if there is a situation involving a dangerous dog that needs to be taken to a shelter and there is a question about it, the animal will be taken to a shelter in Augusta. He said if changes in management and policy at the Waterville shelter do not change by 2018, Winslow will start having all animals taken to a different shelter.

Jones’ lawyers, Tom Page and Bonnie Martinolich, did not return calls Thursday and Friday seeking comment in the case.

Decisions by the court are normally published on the court’s website at 11 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursday. An employee in the clerk’s office said the decision in the dog case was posted as usual Tuesday and attorneys involved receive an email within minutes after the decision is posted.

The Kennebec County District Attorney’s Office received an email at 11:11 a.m. Tuesday, notifying officials in that office that the Supreme Judicial Court’s decision had been posted upholding the death sentence against the two pit bulls. Jones’ attorneys would have received that at the same time.

Waterville police first learned of the court decision around 12:30 p.m. and tried contacting the animal shelter, but couldn’t reach anyone. Jones, meanwhile, was allowed to walk the two dogs outside the shelter property sometime between 12:30-1 p.m.

 

Lisa Smith, executive director of Humane Society Waterville Area, did not return phone calls, texts or emails sent to her on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Brown said Thursday that Smith would release a statement later that day, but she never did and Brown said on Friday he doesn’t know why.

Meanwhile, the Morning Sentinel also submitted Freedom of Information Act requests to both Waterville and Winslow police and the municipalities of Waterville and Winslow seeking any written communications with town and city officials and the Humane Society between Tuesday and Friday. Both municipalities reported on Friday they had no such communication with the organization.

Kennebec County District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said Friday that the order in the case says Jones has “ownership of the pit bulls but not the right to possession.”

Asked about the process taken in such cases, Maloney said that all criminal cases and investigations proceed the same way — police collect evidence and interview witnesses and if they think a search warrant is needed they apply for one and that is a process the district attorney’s office takes part in. If they find enough evidence to charge someone, they do so.

With some cases, if police are not sure, they will send a case to the District Attorney’s Office for review, which means they ask that office to make the first call, according to Maloney. If a charge is brought forward by police, the district attorney’s office can then read the case and decide to bring that charge or additional charges or no charge at all in the case, according to Maloney.

911 AUDIO CALL:

SURVEILLANCE VIDEO (NO SOUND):

(CentralMaine.com - Oct 27, 2017)

Earlier:

• Maine: Woman injured, dog dies in Winslow pit bull attack
• Maine: Danielle Jones and Brandon Ross' pit bulls attacked a woman and mauled a Boston Terrier puppy to death - but they'll still be able to keep them
• Maine: Owner of pit bulls she knew were aggressive, broke through TWO fences to attack and kill Boston Terrier puppy
• Maine: Town decides that signs posted outside houses which have vicious dogs will solve the problem. Um, yeah...
• Maine: Danielle Jones' pit bulls, which tore through two fences to attack and kill a 10-month old Boston Terrier named Fergie Rose, have been ordered to be euthanized
• Maine high court weighs fate of Danielle Jones' two ‘dangerous’ killer Pit Bulls
• Maine: Winslow killer Pit Bulls’ euthanasia order upheld by state’s highest court
• Maine: Condemned killer pit bulls reported to have disappeared; owner refuses to talk
• Maine: Police doubt dangerous-dogs tale, suspect ‘coordinated effort’ in theft of killer Pit Bulls

New Hampshire: Dog found abandoned was 4th animal left outside Bedford shelter in August

NEW HAMPSHIRE -- A golden retriever that was abandoned at a local animal shelter and had to be euthanized was the fourth animal in less than a month that was left outside of the facility.

“This was a particularly tough situation. We love animals and we empathize with them,” said Maureen Prendergast, director of outreach and investigation at the Bedford Animal Rescue League. “Obviously this dog suffered.”

Police said an unidentified man and woman abandoned the dog at the Route 101 shelter around 7 p.m. on Sunday. An employee discovered the female dog in a mulched area outside of the rear portion of the building Monday morning — about 12 hours after it was left there.

“This was pretty emotional,” said Prendergast. Staff members contacted police about the case, which was reported as a possible animal cruelty offense.

Video surveillance showed when the couple dropped off the dog. They carried the animal to the rear door of the facility and placed her on the ground before laying a blanket on top of the pet, said Prendergast.

“You could see the dog wag her tail a little bit. Here is this sweet soul completely innocent and then you watch her crawling after the couple and following them as they leave,” she said, adding the golden retriever was unable to use its two hind legs. “She wanted to go with them.”

After crawling around, the dog eventually moved to a mulch area in the rear exterior of the property.

“We watched this unfold on video and were heartbroken that we could not have helped at the time,” Prendergast said.

The golden retriever was the fourth animal to be abandoned outside of the facility during August. A cat was left in a carrier a few days ago while the shelter was open during normal business hours, and a guinea pig was left in a cage outside of the facility as well.

In addition, a different dog was left outside about two weeks ago, however that pet was tied to the door of the building and was in good physical condition.

The golden retriever, however, did not have use of its rear legs, had a double ear infection, had progressive dental disease, overgrown toenails and possibly some spinal issues, according to shelter officials.

Prendergast said the dog, probably 10 or 12 years old, could have had cancer, and did not move once it was safely indoors and lying on a dog bed.

Bedford police said the animal refused to eat or drink, and had to be euthanized because of its poor medical condition and long period of neglect.

“This is an extremely disturbing case where an innocent animal was abandoned and left to die,” Police Chief John Bryfonski said in a statement. “We are encouraging anyone with information about this incident, or who may have seen something, to give us a call right away.”

No arrests were made by Friday afternoon, and authorities are continuing to investigate.

Prendergast said it is not clear whether the couple that dropped off the dog actually owned the pet, or whether they had found the dog and brought it to the shelter during off-hours. Regardless, she said it is critical that if pet owners feel they have no other choice but to let go of their animals, that they call the closest animal shelter first.

“We just ask that they call us and tell us their situation and we can get help for the dog,” said Prendergast. “We are here to help, and we want to educate the public and understand the history of the dog, which helps us in relocating the pet.”

Anyone with information about the case is urged to call police at 472-5113. The couple that left the dog at the shelter was driving a blue four-door sedan.

(Union Leader - September 1, 2017)

Earlier:

• New Hampshire: Golden retriever 'was abandoned and left to die', says police chief

New Hampshire: Golden retriever 'was abandoned and left to die', says police chief

NEW HAMPSHIRE -- Police are asking for the public’s help to find a man and woman who abandoned a badly neglected dog at the back door of a local animal shelter.

The dog, an adult female golden retriever, had to be euthanized after a veterinarian found “extensive medical issues” stemming from neglect over a long period of time, police said.

Employees at the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire said the dog was 10 to 12 years old.

“This is an extremely disturbing case where an innocent animal was abandoned and left to die,” Police Chief John Bryfonski said Thursday.

“We are encouraging anyone with information about this incident or who may have seen something to give us a call right away,” he said.

Police responded to a request for help at the Animal Rescue League headquarters on Route 101 at 8:32 a.m. Monday.

A shelter employee told police after reporting for work that a worker found the dog lying in the mulch near the building’s back door.

Video surveillance images revealed a woman and a man in a four-door, blue sedan abandoned the dog around 7 p.m. on Sunday.

The shelter closes at 5 p.m. on Sundays, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bedford Police Department at 603-472-5113.

(Union Leader - August 31, 2017)

Ohio: Rufus Hutcherson, Jr. took his granddaughter with him while he abandoned his dog and her puppies, kicking the mama dog when she tried to leave with them.

OHIO -- Charges have been filed against a 70-year-old Dayton man after the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center said he was caught on camera abandoning a dog and four puppies outside.

Charges filed against Rufus Hutcherson, Jr., include cruelty to animals, abandoning animals, failure to restrain a dog, failure to license a dog and furnishing false information, all of which are misdemeanors.

He should also be charged with child abuse.

Surveillance videos from cameras outside the shelter showed a man getting out of the car in the parking lot July 20, "telling" the dog to say and kicking the dog prior to leaving, according to the ARC.

Five days later, Hutcherson visited the shelter and spoke with investigators, at which point he said he had owned the dog for several years. He reportedly told investigators the dog had 10 puppies in the first week of July, but 6 of them died, at which point he brought the surviving puppies and their mother to the shelter.

 

 

He claimed he was unable to find anyone at the shelter during the drop off, but he was seen by and saw the ARC Veterinarian as she left for the evening, but didn't attempt to stop or speak with her.

LIED TO POLICE GIVING THEM A FAKE ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER

The City of Vandalia Prosecutor's Office accepted charges after officers were unable to locate him at the address or contact information he had been provided, and they are currently pending in the clerk's office.

The ARC has a number of options and programs for owners who cannot care for their pets including fee waivers, community service and I.O.U.s.

These programs cannot be offered when owners choose to abandon their animals on the side of the road, which is what happened in this case.

Cruelty, abandonment, failure to license, failure to restrain and furnishing false information are all criminal offenses under the Ohio Revised Code.

(Fox45Now - August 3, 2017)

Canada: Elderly Shih Tzu, suffering from renal failure and with "large open mass on his hind end" abandoned in the rain outside shelter

CANADA -- On Thursday June 15, 2017, an elderly male Shih Tzu type dog was found in the early morning hours, tethered to a post outside Calgary Humane Society.

Surveillance footage, while not sufficient to identify the offender, shows the gravely ill dog was abandoned at 10:00pm the previous evening, causing the dog, who was already suffering from end stage renal failure and a large open mass on his hind end, to spend all night out in the rain. 

Calgary Humane Society is looking for information from the public as to who owns this dog and who may have committed this act of abandonment.

Brad Nichols, Senior Manager, Animal Cruelty Investigations said, “This was a truly cowardly act. To abandon an animal in inclement weather rather than fulfil his/her legally obligatory animal care duties is an act that will not be tolerated in Calgary.

 

 

"We hope public tips will point us in the right direction so we can hold the offender accountable.”

The dog was in such severe medical distress when CHS staff found him, he was humanely euthanized at the direction of a veterinarian to end his suffering. 😢

Anyone with information on the identity of this dog or his owner’s whereabouts is asked to contact Calgary Humane Society at 403-205-4455 or www.calgaryhumane.ca/cruelty

SURVEILLANCE VIDEO:

The surveillance video isn't really helpful. At the entrance, you can see someone wander up and tie the poor dog to a pole at the entrance and then leave. It's a man and, to me, it appears to me that it's an older male (mid-40's and older) based on how the person is walking. 

Based on previous abandonment stories, I'd say this man is married, that this dog was a household pet and was slowly getting in worse medical condition, they didn't provide it with vet care and finally decided to just abandon him at the shelter. But purposely went when they were closed so they wouldn't have to try to explain why he was in such bad shape. 

 

 

 

 

New York: Tamara Copeland, 57, is sentenced to 

6 months in county jail for dumping her 

sick, injured poodle outside vet clinic and fleeing

 

 

New Jersey: Keith Morgan and his wife Shauna Morgan

plead guilty to stuffing their sick Cocker Spaniel 

named Sammy into a trash bag and then dragging him 

to the shelter saying they "found" him this way

(calgaryhumane.ca - June 22, 2017)

Texas: Terrell police seeking information regarding man seen on video dumping puppies at the shelter in the middle of the night

TEXAS -- The Terrell Police Department and Terrell Animal Control are investigating an incident of animal cruelty abandonment.

On May 27 at 1:33 a.m., a cooler of puppies was abandoned at the Terrell Animal Adoption Center by a black male with a slim build, gray shirt, a red or orange hat worn backward and blue pants.

The male suspect was dropped off by a white model car that circled around and picked up the suspect.

Anyone with information on this incident, or can identify this subject, contact the Terrell Police Department at 469-474-2700.

(Terrell Tribune - June 2, 2017)

Arkansas: The city of Osceola has had a pit bull ban for more than 10 years. However, they say now they're actually going to enforce it.

ARKANSAS --  Osceola will begin aggressively enforcing an ordinance passed to ban pit bulls from the city limits.

The town passed an ordinance banning the breed in 2006.

The Osceola Animal Shelter posted to Facebook that due to numerous complaints, the city will work harder to enforce that ban.

That enforcement will begin July 1.

Current pit bull owners are being told they have until July 1 to re-home their dogs.

Punishment for having a pit bull inside the city limits is a $500 fine for each violation.

The only people allowed to keep their pit bulls are those who got their dogs before or during the 60 days following the original passage of the ordinance on June 19, 2006.

The breeds listed under the ordinance include American pit bulls, Staffordshire pit bull terriers, and American bulldogs.

Rickey Freeman lives in Osceola and said he is a fan of the ordinance.

“So many dogs around here, running loose, and you know you have to worry about the kids,” he said.

Freeman said he has heard of incidents in town where children have been bitten.

“Well, there's been a few of them incidents in the last for five years,” he said.

(Fox13Memphis - June 1, 2017)