On March 3, 2025, Crown counsel approved charges of animal cruelty (Criminal Code, Section 445.1(1) (a)) against Zachary Petropolis, for causing unnecessary pain and suffering to a dog in Kelowna in December 2023.
“We received a number of calls into the BC SPCA’s Animal Helpline about this individual abusing his dog,” says Eileen Drever, BC SPCA’s senior officer protection and stakeholder relations. “We initiated an investigation and were able to recommend charges when we received disturbing CCTV footage showing him putting his dog in a chokehold, slamming the dog down onto the floor by the legs and then kicking the dog.”
Following his first court appearance, Petropolis was released with conditions, one being that he is not to have custody or control of any animal, including his fish. The dog was seized by the BC SPCA and has been successfully rehomed.
The BC SPCA conducts more than 7,500 cruelty investigations a year and is reliant on donations from the public to continue its work.