A dog named Chewy was found wandering in a park in Thorold last Friday in what the Humane Society of Greater Niagara…
A dog named Chewy was found wandering in a park in Thorold last Friday in what the Humane Society of Greater Niagara described as a ‘deplorable condition.’ His health is improving but he still has a long road to recovery.
Kevin Strooband from the humane society says when they picked Chewy up he was severely matted over his whole body. “He had open wounds on his paws and they were filled with maggots. He had maggots in his eyes and other parts of his body. It was just a terrible scene how deplorable his condition was.”
Strooband says they’re not sure how Chewy got to the park but they’ve reported the cruelty case to the provincial animal welfare services to investigate.
Ontario has the strongest provincial penalties in the country for animal abuse and neglect. People could face up to two years in jail, fines up to $130,000 for a first offence, and a lifetime ban of animal ownership
“There’s a good chance that this dog was owned by someone, in their home, neglected and it just escaped,” Strooband said.
Chewy was brought to the Glenridge Animal hospital where he began his long road to recovery. He was given a bath almost immediately and placed on an IV and catheter to rehydrate him.
They estimate it will cost up to $10,000 to care for Chewy’s injuries. That won’t be done until he’s strong enough. “He may well need surgery on this foot where he had the worst of the infection. He does have an eye condition that will need addressing as well as potentially a heart condition later on.”
Strooband says all this medical care wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for donations from the public. “Typically as a humane society, we can’t afford this but the public has really stepped up. So we’re very hopeful that they’ll continue to contribute so that we can make a difference in Chewy’s life.”
The humane society has received nearly $5,000 in donations so far to help with Chewy and his care.
