A Kelowna man who tied up and abandoned his critically ill dog at the local SPCA shelter during the early hours of March 14, 2011, has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges.
Dave Schamerhorn received a $750 fine and a five-year ban on owning or having custody of animals. Schamerhorn’s beige and white Labrador cross dog was seen on SPCA shelter security cameras being taken from a dark-coloured truck, pulled across the parking lot, muzzled and left tied to the front of the shelter. When SPCA staff arrived to work they rushed the critically ill dog for veterinary care but it was too late to save her and she had to be humanely euthanized. Schamerhorn was later identified by members of the public who recognized the dog and the truck in the security video.
“We wish we could have saved Sable’s life, but at least we were able to seek justice on her behalf,” said Linda Walker, the BC SPCA special constable who investigated the case.
“Hopefully Mr. Schamerhorn now understands that every pet guardian has a responsibility to care for their animal and that abandoning a pet is not tolerated under BC animal cruelty laws.”
She says that Schamerhorn had many other humane options he could have taken rather than abandoning his sick dog. “The SPCA is here to help and there are veterinarians who offer reduced rates and so many other options for people to seek help,” says Walker. “To just leave your animal alone in critical condition, knowing no one will find her for hours, is just not acceptable.”
Photo caption: Sable, suffering from a severe neurological condition, was abandoned outside the BC SPCA Kelowna Branch by an unknown individual in the early hours of March 14.
April 20, 2011 update
Charges of animal cruelty have now been laid against a Kelowna man who abandoned his critically ill dog last month. Dave Schamerhorn faces charges under both the Criminal Code of Canada and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act after his female Labrador-cross dog was dumped in the Kelowna SPCA parking lot at 4:30 a.m. on March 14. Schamerhorn was later identified with the help of local media and the public. The beige and white dog, who was seen on SPCA shelter security cameras being taken from a dark-coloured truck and pulled across the parking lot, was muzzled and left tied to the front of the shelter. When SPCA staff arrived to work they rushed the critically ill dog for veterinary care but she had to be euthanized later that day due to a severe neurological condition.
“It is clear from viewing the video footage that her condition deteriorated dramatically from the time she was abandoned to when we found her,” said Sabrina Fedorak, manager of the Kelowna SPCA Branch. “We wish we could have saved her life but it just wasn’t possible given her level of suffering and distress. At least we have the comfort of knowing that we were able to seek justice on her behalf.”
She says that Schamerhorn had many other humane options he could have taken rather than abandoning his sick dog. “The SPCA is here to help and there are veterinarians who offer reduced rates and so many other options for people to seek help,” says Fedorak. “To just leave your animal alone in critical condition, knowing no one will find her for hours, is just not acceptable.”
BC SPCA constable Linda Walker, lead investigator for the case, says the SPCA is hoping Schamerhorn will be prohibited from owning animals if convicted.
The BC SPCA conducts more than 7,000 cruelty investigations a year and is reliant on donations from the public to continue its work. Your gift can help rescue an animal in distress and bring abusers to justice. Please donate today.
March 28, 2011 update
The BC SPCA in Kelowna is expressing gratitude today to the media and members of the public who helped identify the owner of a critically ill dog dumped at the SPCA shelter on March 14.
Shelter security cameras showed the muzzled dog being pulled from a dark-coloured truck at approximately 4:30 a.m., dragged across the parking lot and tied to the front door of the shelter. The beige and white mixed-breed dog, named Sable by shelter staff, was suffering from a severe neurological condition that prevented her from standing or walking. Despite being rushed to a veterinarian as soon as she was discovered by SPCA staff, the dog had to be humanely euthanized because of critical distress.
“We are so grateful to the media for raising awareness about this story and to the people who provided us with information to solve the case,” says Sabrina Fedorak, manager of the Kelowna SPCA branch. “Our SPCA constable acted on a tip and did some incredible detective work to determine the owner of the dog.” Charges of animal cruelty are now pending in the case.
Fedorak says it was heartbreaking to think of how much the frightened dog must have suffered after being abandoned. “It is clear from viewing the video footage that her condition deteriorated dramatically from the time she was abandoned to when we found her,” she said. “We wish we could have saved her life but it just wasn’t possible given her level of suffering and distress. At least we have the comfort of knowing that we can now seek justice on her behalf. We are truly grateful to everyone who helped us ensure that her owner will be held accountable for his actions.”
March 21, 2011
BC SPCA animal protection officers in Kelowna are seeking the public’s help in solving the case of a critically ill dog who was abandoned at the SPCA shelter in the early hours of March 14.
“Our shelter security cameras show the dog being pulled from a black, canopied truck at approximately 4:30 a.m., dragged across the parking and tied to the front door of our shelter,” says Sabrina Fedorak, manager of the Kelowna SPCA branch.
The beige and white mixed-breed dog, named Sable by shelter staff, was muzzled and was suffering from a severe neurological condition that prevented her from standing or walking. “How anyone could abandon a dog in such distress is beyond me,” says Fedorak. “She was suffering tremendously and yet the individual just dumped her, knowing the shelter didn’t open for hours.” Fedorak says it is heartbreaking to think of Sable lying alone in the dark.
Kelowna staff rushed Sable for emergency veterinary treatment, where she was tested for a number of potential toxins. “Unfortunately no cause for the neurological condition could be identified and Sable had to be euthanized later that day because of critical distress,” says Fedorak.
The SPCA is hoping someone will recognize Sable or knows something about the owner of the black truck. Anyone with information about this case is asked to please call Sabrina Fedorak, manager of the Kelowna SPCA Branch, at 250-258-2511.
Photo caption: Sable, suffering from a severe neurological condition, was abandoned outside the BC SPCA Kelowna Branch by an unknown individual in the early hours of March 14.