Sunday, January 31, 2016

Canada: Dog loses eye; owner Matthew Sprague convicted of animal cruelty

CANADA -- A man from Desbarats, near Sault Ste. Marie, pleaded guilty this week to one count of animal cruelty under the Ontario SPCA Act for failing to provide adequate and appropriate medical attention to an animal.

An Ontario SPCA officer attended a rural property in Desbarats on April 24, 2015, after receiving a report about dogs not being properly cared for. The officer arrived to find a yellow, Labrador retriever-type canine with a large, red eye.


After speaking with the owner, Matthew Sprague, it was determined no medical care had been provided and that the dog had been left in that condition for two weeks.

The owner voluntarily surrendered the dog to the care of the SPCA that day, due to his inability to provide the required medical care for the animal.

The dog was taken to a veterinarian where it was recommended her eye be removed to alleviate her pain and suffering.

The owner was charged with three counts under the Ontario SPCA Act and pleaded guilty to one. Sprague was fined $240.

"Allowing an animal you are responsible for to go without appropriate care and/or necessary medical attention is never acceptable, no matter what the circumstance may be," Senior Insp. Lynn Michaud of Ontario SPCA said in a release.

"If one is faced with the inability to provide the necessary and lawful care of their animal, then please reach out to the Ontario SPCA or its network of communities to learn what options are available for your animal."

(The Sudbury Star - Jan 30, 2016)

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