An Esquimalt man has been charged with animal cruelty after allegedly neglecting his one-year-old female pitbull.
Hubert Joseph Henry is charged under the Criminal Code of willfully neglecting or failing to provide adequate food, water, shelter and care for the dog. He is also charged under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of causing the dog, named Skylar, to be in distress.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of five years in jail, a fine of up to $75,000 and a ban on owning or having custody of animals, according to the B.C. SPCA.
The offences are alleged to have occurred between April 11 and May 18, 2013. Henry is to appear in Victoria provincial court on Aug. 26.
On Thursday, B.C. SPCA Special Const. Lynsay Bailey said the organization received an anonymous complaint in April from someone who had seen the dog and believed it was being mistreated.
On a number of occasions, the SPCA saw Skylar tied to the back of a pickup truck, without food or water or proper shelter, Bailey said.
“That was her life. On several occasions, we’d go and she’d be tangled up under the undercarriage of the vehicle, sleeping in her feces. It was just not the best situation.”
The SPCA got a warrant and seized Skylar, who has been placed in a new home, on May 18. Charges were approved against Henry on Aug. 15.
“Skylar is an amazing dog,” Bailey said. “She was living in the worst possible circumstances, but today is happy and healthy. I was speaking to her new owner. He said she’s settled in wonderfully and he just loves her.”
The SPCA will be recommending Henry receive a lifetime ban on owning or having custody of animals.
In 2009, Henry was convicted of animal cruelty for neglecting two pitbulls. Those two dogs were also seized and placed in other homes.
