A Vancouver Island couple has been criminally charged following an SPCA investigation into a vicious attack on their family dog.
The pitbull-mix female dog, Bryn, suffered blunt force injuries to her head, torso, legs and teeth in the alleged beating, which happened in Colwood in early April.
The BC SPCA says the dog’s owners did not bring the injured dog in for medical treatment and staff rushed the dog in for emergency treatment at the Victoria shelter after being learning about its injuries the following day.
That’s when the cruelty investigation began into the dog’s owners, Joseph White and Elizabeth Johnston.
Constable Erika Paul said Bryn’s injuries – including a broken front leg -- were traumatic and serious. She suggested the dog was lingering in pain for the day before she received treatment.
“Bryn also had significant bruising to the right side of her torso, a broken canine tooth and was experiencing neurological deficits that impacted her back legs, making it hard for her to stand or move around,” she said.
It took weeks for the dog to be able to stand on her own.
White and Johnston were charged with animal cruelty on Wednesday. They are set to make their first appearance at 9 a.m. on June 26 at the Western Communities Courthouse.
The couple could face a fine, probation, a prohibition from owning animals and -- if the maximum penalty is given by the judge -- jail time.
Meanwhile, Bryn has quickly become a staff favourite and is currently recovering in a foster home.
The dog will not go back to her original owners, and will be put up for adoption after her rehabilitation is complete.
The branch is raising funds to help pay for her extensive medical bills, estimated to be more than $4,500. Bryn just completed a dental surgery to remove broken teeth and will undergo a second surgery shortly.
The BC SPCA investigates thousands of reports of animal cruelty each year.
