Just imagine, pt 2

from this morning's Cape Breton Post
Necropsy shows dog was in good health CHRIS HAYES The Cape Breton Post
SYDNEY — A necropsy on the body of a dog found in the Barrachois area two weeks ago was inconclusive about the cause of death but did find the animal was in good condition, had appropriate fat stores and appeared in generally good health.
Kristian Williams, executive director of the Nova Scotia SPCA, said Wednesday a veterinarian who conducted the necropsy would have been looking for factors that could have contributed to the cause of death, including hazardous cold and signs of neglect, injury or illness.
“There was no indication of any of the above,” she said.
The presence of fat stores would seem to indicate the dog was being fed regularly, she said.Williams said an investigation is continuing and without a conclusive cause of death it will now look at whether or not the specific standards of care outlined in provincial and federal legislation were met.
The investigation will look at whether the dog at the time of its death had adequate access to food, water, shelter and whether that was restricted by the way it was tethered, she said.
The dog was not attached to a chain when the SPCA arrived, although a neighbour who found it has said it had a chain around its neck at that time.
“We need to verify that with interviews with the parties involved and also collaboration with the local police,” Williams said.
There was some evidence that the dog’s water was frozen, added Williams.
The body of the male bull mastiff mixed breed, which was apparently a watchdog, was found by neighbour Joe Bona on the frozen ground in an isolated logging area in Barrachois on Feb. 3.
Bona was disappointed by the necropsy results and maintained Wednesday that the animal was living in poor conditions and froze to death.
When the SPCA first responded to a complaint at the address in October 2008, the owner voluntarily complied with its requests regarding standards of care.Williams said Wednesday she can’t get into the details about the requests that were made to the owner but they had to do with the tethering and socialization of the dog, but not with food and shelter.
Five visits were made between then and January 2009, during which the owner remained compliant and nothing was noted in contravention of animal welfare legislation. On the last visit, the dog had been removed by the owner and the case file was closed, the release said.
Following the initial complaint, the SPCA did not receive any further complaints regarding the property. Though the SPCA can’t be certain, the dog that was found dead has the same general description of the dog from the 2008 complaint.
The SPCA can’t say conclusively it’s the same animal but it very likely was, Williams said.Williams encouraged anyone with any information to come forward to the SPCA.
The SPCA won’t reveal the name of the dog’s owner unless charges are laid.
The SPCA in Nova Scotia continues to advocate for stronger tethering regulations under the current provincial animal welfare legislation, Williams said in a release. Current legislation outlines minimum requirements for animals including adequate food, shelter and water, but does not address tethering restrictions or guidelines.
chayes@cbpost.com
Well then. We don't even know this poor dog's name. Nor will we ever know most of the names of all the other dogs who have spent so much of their lives shut away from from a kind word and human companionship.
But we can put any number of names to the practice of tethering - inhumane, callous, cruel, dangerous.... that list could go on ad infinitum.
Sadly, the type of person who can harden their heart to treat an animal in this way is not going to be swayed by sentiment. As with anything else in life ... legislation is the key to protecting the innocent.
When I first moved out here, the salt of the earth flannel coated fellows up and down the road used to use a two- four for an armrest in the front seat of their pickups. It wasn't uncommon to hear statements like "I can drive better drunk than most people can sober"
Why don't these good old boys do that anymore ( or at least not so much) ? It certainly isn't because they have had a change of heart. Nope. Its those darned laws that just make it too expensive and too inconvenient to drink and drive anymore,
Common sense is a rare thing ... otherwise people would understand that chaining a dog out to be a watchdog is a Very Ineffective Security System. For more on that particular subject, http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/mythguarddogs.html should be required reading.
Of course there are a lot of misconceptions about anti tethering legislation. Anyone with a yard leash at the back step for morning and midnight pee breaks is going to get a little antsy. The field trial and dog show folks are going to get nervous that it will change the universe as they know it.
Anti tethering legislation will not get off the ground until it is presented as a public safety measure. Even animal lovers are generally suspicious of any legislation that could impose limitations on their personal freedoms.
Any time I have mentioned anti tethering legislation to any politician, their collars quickly get too tight or they start to fidget like a toddler in immediate need of the potty.
If our provincial MLA's are seeking some redemption while they are brushing the cookie crumbs off their fingers, supporting anti tethering legislation proposals would be a dandy place to start. If you would like your MLA to support legislation to create safer communities for all our children, please contact him or her ( if ya don't know the contact info by now ... Members - Constituencies)
If you wish to lend the support of your voice to the society in their pursuit of anti tethering legislation, the appropriate email would be animals@spcans.ca
It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds. - Samuel Adams