A Victoria woman has been forbidden to have dogs in her care for the next two years after pleading guilty to cruelty charges for neglecting to get care for her Great Dane, leading to its death
Kristine Dudley-Danskin failed to take the two-year-old dog, named Rosie, to a veterinarian when it became critically ill while delivering a litter of 11 puppies.
She was charged under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act after a B.C. SPCA investigation in June 2011.
She pleaded guilty recently in Western Communities provincial court.
Rosie died of a blood infection, said SPCA Const. Erika Paul. She said Rosie’s labour began June 22, 2011, and her health declined over the course of the next three days.
“On June 25, Dudley-Danskin called the emergency veterinary hospital but did not take Rosie in for care due to costs,” Paul said in a statement.
Dudley-Danskin later took the dog to the veterinary hospital, but Rosie was dead on arrival.
“It is tragic to think how Rosie must have suffered before she eventually succumbed to her condition.”
The death was “very unnecessary,” Paul said.
Paul said that people with pets have a responsibility to get them proper veterinary treatment “especially when they’re showing clear signs of distress.”
All of the 11 puppies that were born lived, although two others died while still inside the mother.
Paul said large dog breeds occasionally give birth to such big litters.
While the two-year court order handed down to Dudley-Danskin prevents her from having dogs, she is allowed to keep two cats that she already owns — but they will be closely watched by the SPCA.
“They will be monitored by us and that comes with regulations like an annual vet visit, with that report coming to us, so we can ensure that for the next few years, she’s doing the right thing for them,” Paul said.
