An Oyama man has been convicted of animal cruelty after the SPCA took custody of his injured lab-cross dog in an investigation in September 2011.
Mario Russo was fined $500 for allowing his dog Bear to suffer without veterinary care for a broken leg after he was hit by a car.
“We’re pleased that he was found guilty of the charges, but we are disappointed that he only received a $500 penalty,” said SPCA animal abuse complaint investigator Linda Walker.
“Bear had been suffering with an untreated broken leg for a month and the veterinarian we took him to confirmed that he would have incurred significant pain from his injury,” she said.
She added Russo admitted that it was the second time that Bear had been hit by a car.
“People need to understand that they have an obligation to provide proper care for their animals, including access to veterinary treatment when they are sick or injured.
“The vet told us that Bear’s injury would have been easy to correct when it first occurred but because no treatment had been provided and it hadn’t healed properly, amputation of the back leg was necessary.”
After further consultation it was determined that the most humane option for Bear was euthanasia because of a poor prognosis for recovery and quality of life issues.
“It is very frustrating and sad to see a situation where an animal has to be euthanized to prevent a life of pain when the injury would have been treatable had the owner taken appropriate action,” said Walker.
