Belle River man is facing animal cruelty charges after humane society investigators rescued an emaciated puppy from a home last month.
The owner was charged on Thursday with one count of permitting distress to an animal and one count of failing to comply with prescribed standards of care for an animal. His first court appearance is scheduled for March 23.
The puppy, a seven-month-old mixed breed now named Reno, was “dramatically underweight,” when he was rescued on Jan. 28, according to Melanie Coulter, executive director at the Windsor/Essex County Humane Society. At 16 pounds, he was eight to 10 pounds, or 50 per cent, below a healthy weight.
Melanie Coulter, executive director of the Windsor/Essex County Humane Society, is photographed with Reno a 7 month old puppy at at the Windsor/Essex County Humane Society in Windsor on Monday, February 9, 2015. Reno was only 16 lbs when he was seized from his owner. He is now ready for adoption. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)
She said there was no medical reason for the puppy’s condition other than lack of food.
“This level of starvation is not too common, fortunately,” she said. “Our officers investigate hundreds of cruelty complaints a year, so we do see a lot of situations where animals aren’t cared for properly, but this is one that is pretty significant.”
The maximum penalty for permitting distress is two years in jail, or $60,000, though most sentences end up below that, according Coulter.
“Jail time is rarely imposed in cruelty cases… Of course one of things we would be looking at is seeing a ban on owning animals in the future.”
Although investigators were told the puppy had nipped the owner’s child, Coulter explained that nipping is fairly common for puppies. She said Reno may be untrained, but he’s not aggressive.
“He’s very friendly. Our behaviour staff are working with him on learning some manners, just because he hasn’t had a lot of training. He’s a puppy, he needs training, he needs socialization. So we’re working on that as well as his physical condition.”
Coulter said that despite his high level of starvation, Reno is on the road to a full recovery and she’s optimistic about his chances of getting adopted. He has now gained more than five pounds, or 35 per cent of his body weight, and is expected to be at a healthy weight in about a month.
“I’m sure he’ll have lots of people that are interested in giving him a great new home,” she said.
Melanie Coulter, executive director of the Windsor/Essex County Humane Society, is photographed with Reno a 7 month old puppy at at the Windsor/Essex County Humane Society in Windsor on Monday, February 9, 2015. Reno was only 16 lbs when he was seized from his owner. He is now ready for adoption. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)
Melanie Coulter, executive director of the Windsor/Essex County Humane Society on Monday, February 9, 2015, said Reno a seven-month-old puppy at the shelter, was only 16 lbs when he was seized from his owner. He is now ready for adoption. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)
