idiot rottie owner in toronto

[Dimitri]

hard to say, there was no mention of it on the toronto police services public announcements. I'm going to assume that the man information was taken down and the investigation is still ongoing . seeing that this did get a great deal of media attention, I'm confident that this man will be punished for his stupidity.

[Cdn1050]

Originally Posted by Marcino

Was there any follow-up to the story? What happened to AK... did the owner get jail time?
I find we often see these types of stories which horrify everyone, yet there is never any follow-up. I always like to know how things end.
That's the media for you... it's all about shocking the public and then no follow-up I find.

This happened a couple months ago, I know that charges will be laid against AK's former owner but what those charges are I'm not sure of yet. The case hasn't gone to court yet. AK now has a new loving forever home and he even has his own facebook. I will have to try to find his facebook account to see if there is any follow-up to that case. Because both cases of animal abuse happened not far from each other and both were big media stories, I can't see charges not being laid against the guy who left his rottweiler locked in the car in the sweltering heat.

[Marcino]

That is good news about AK!
I pray that Cyrus is put up for adoption and will find a good and loving home. It would be a shame if they turned him back over to that jack-ass.

[Dimitri]

Its official, the man has been charged with cruelty to animals in regards to this case.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/loc...ub=TorontoHome

Man charged with animal cruelty alleges beating

toronto.ctv.ca

A Toronto man, who has been charged with animal cruelty for allegedly locking his Rottweiler in a sweltering car, claims he was beaten while handcuffed to his vehicle.

After hearing his car alarm sound, the man rushed out to his vehicle and was apprehended by Humane Society officials who handcuffed him to the car and called police.

The owner of the dog claims he was beaten by angry passersby while authorities attended to the dying animal.

He was bleeding when officers arrived on the scene to take him away.

Humane Society officials were called to a parking lot in the west end of the city on Tuesday afternoon.

A bylaw officer smashed the window of a parked car when the Rottweiler was discovered in the back seat gasping for air.

Lee Oliver, a spokesperson from the Toronto Humane Society, said Wednesday the owner needed to be subdued in order to rescue the animal and was fully supportive of the responding official's actions.

"He was jeopardizing the rescue operation and was threatening the safety of people at the scene," Oliver said.

"He handcuffed him to the car to neutralize that threat."

Oliver says the official left the man handcuffed to the vehicle with no less than five of the man's friends watching over him.

Police at the 14th division say they are not investigating any complaints of abuse at this time.

The owner could face up to six months in jail for the alleged offence.

Rottweiler recovering

The dog is currently in critical condition after being locked in 70 degree Celsius heat for three hours or more.

"It's one of the most disturbing things that I've seen in this job that I've worked for over a year now; to see that animal moments from death in such distress slumped over in the back of the car gasping for its last breaths of air," Humane Society official Tre Smith, who rescued the animal, told CTV News on Wednesday.

Officials say they are "cautiously optimistic" the animal will survive.

"He was up for a walk this morning, which is really a big deal," Oliver told CTV News.

"He can move his legs normally when he is walking which means maybe the brain damage isn't as bad as we at first expected."

Oliver says when temperatures reach the mid-thirties the temperature inside a vehicle can reach 70 degrees in less than 10 minutes.

"A dog and a cat both have a core temperature of 39 degrees. When they get above 39, into 40 or 41, they start to suffer forms of morbid organ damage and a little hotter than that, they suffer brain damage and they can pass away pretty quickly," Oliver said.

The Humane Society recommends leaving animals at home with the air conditioning on with a bowl of water during the summer season.

[Dimitri]

side note:

from the humane society's page, the dog appears to be doing rather well...


Much to our surprise – and pleasure – Cyrus is fighting his way through this. After two days of intravenous fluids and some TLC, Cyrus seems much healthier than expected. While he is still spending his time quietly recuperating, he is able to stand up unassisted, walk (albeit slowly) and is aware of and interested in his surroundings. But he isn’t out of the woods yet.

Next, we hope to start Cyrus on solid food today.

[hokisteph5]

Originally Posted by Dimitri

A Toronto man, who has been charged with animal cruelty for allegedly locking his Rottweiler in a sweltering car, claims he was beaten while handcuffed to his vehicle.

How sad that this man's dog almost died due to his actions and his foremost concern is the injuries he sustained.

Oliver says the official left the man handcuffed to the vehicle with no less than five of the man's friends watching over him.

Maybe one of his five friends beat him up.

[shybird]

Continued prayers for Cyrus. It just makes me so darned angry that humans can be so stupid and selfish, not only to animals but to children too. Every freaking year, kids and animals die in vehicles from heat. STUPID, STUPID, STUPID. Will they ever learn, sheez it is just common sense.

[Dimitri]

Originally Posted by shybird

Continued prayers for Cyrus. It just makes me so darned angry that humans can be so stupid and selfish, not only to animals but to children too. Every freaking year, kids and animals die in vehicles from heat. STUPID, STUPID, STUPID. Will they ever learn, sheez it is just common sense.

regrettably common sense is not that common :(

[kriswatson]

I had to smash a window several years ago to save a dog outside a health club i was working in and when the stupid woman came out she was really angry 'cos i had smashed her window????????????'
SILLY BITCH. i followed the case and made sure she had the dog taken off her and it was rehomed.

[moz205]

Good for you kriswatson! When I bought a seperate air conditioning unit just for my dog, hubby just shook his head and walked away. The extremes some people go to for their pets' welfare and then some idiots nearly kill them with stupidity.

[Marcino]

If it happens that I absolutely must leave Chino in the car for a minute or two I always re-start my car with my remote starter (never leave the keys in the car) so that the air conditioning is on the whole time (you just never know when that line up at the corner store is longer than a couple of minutes. I also try and make sure to park the car in the shade as well.

[Marcino]

Dimitri... do you know if Cyrus is up for adoption?
PS. Thanks for updating us!

[Dimitri]

I"m sure that at some point Cyrus will be up for adoption, but for now he is still getting medical attention as the vets are not sure about the extent of the damage to his vital organs. To be honest, the THS (toronto humane society) is extremely political and chances are that the dog will be adopted within their own ranks and not to an outsider or regular joe.

[Rene Allegrini]

More on the story of the rescued Rottweiler:

Humane society hero faces scrutiny

Agent who rescued Rottweiler has investigative duties put on hold
TIMOTHY APPLEBY

August 10, 2007

A Toronto Humane Society investigator lauded as a hero last week for rescuing a young Rottweiler dog trapped in a sweltering car has had his duties cut back while authorities review the incident.

The move appears to raise questions about how animal protection investigators - and other non-police law enforcement officials - can carry out their work.

The order came from Hugh Coghill, acting chief inspector for the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which oversees the province's humane societies.

In an e-mail widely distributed yesterday afternoon to OSPCA and humane society offices, Mr. Coghill advised Tre Smith, 36, that his investigative functions are on hold.

An employee of the THS, Mr. Smith remains on its payroll and will for now perform other duties, said spokesman Lee Oliver, vigorously defending the actions of his colleague.

Mr. Coghill's directive stems from the circumstances leading up to the laying of a cruelty-to-animals charge against Mississauga resident Paul Soderholm, who on July 31 allegedly left his 110-pound dog, Cyrus, in a parked, locked car while visiting friends in a Parkdale apartment near King Street and Jameson Avenue.

Alerted by bystanders, Mr. Smith arrived to find Cyrus near death, gasping for air and foaming at the mouth. The windows of the car were rolled up and Mr. Smith's equipment showed the temperature inside to be around 70 C.

Mr. Smith smashed the back window of the car, triggering an alarm that brought Mr. Soderholm running outside.

An altercation ensued and Mr. Smith handcuffed the dog owner to the door handle of his car.

Then, according to a radio report, Mr. Soderholm was assaulted by two bystanders who were subsequently charged by police from 14 Division, who arrived within minutes.

Mr. Soderholm will appear in court on September charged with causing needless suffering to Cyrus, which under the Criminal Code can result in a summary conviction bringing a maximum fine of $2,000 and six months in jail.

In most instances, the penalties are usually less than that.

Mr. Oliver of the THS said Mr. Smith had no choice but to act as he did, describing Mr. Soderholm's conduct as "erratic, unpredictable and totally threatening ..."

"Agent Smith did what any law enforcement would do, he handcuffed the gentleman to the car to neutralize the threat. ... he wanted to continue the rescue of the dog, which was the priority."

Mr. Soderholm could not immediately be reached for comment.

Initially it was feared Cyrus had suffered brain damage, but in the days since his ordeal he has made what looks to be a full recovery.

Friendly and alert, Cyrus has been the object of more than 40 adoption offers since the widely publicized incident.

Mr. Smith is one of the THS's three investigators and has been with the society for about a year. He previously worked as an auxiliary police officer and in the security field.

He has two dogs of his own, both rescued from households where they were in need of care. He described the Parkdale incident as "one of the most disturbing things that I've seen in this job."

Mr. Oliver said he and other THS employees are giving their colleague full support and are perplexed at this latest turn of events.

"We're quite surprised, this was completely unexpected," Mr. Oliver said of the e-mail to Mr. Smith.

"It doesn't outline why he's being suspended, there are no details, so it's kind of hard to respond to."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...0070810.wdog10

[Marcino]

I hope I am allowed to post this link... if not, sorry for breaking any rules:

http://www.torontohumanesociety.com/...opic.asp?id=33

This is a link that will take you to the Toronto Humane Society's website where you can post your words of support/encouragement for Agent Tre Smith who faces scrutiny

Please take a minute or two to show your support by posting your comments. If you do, please add your location to your post just to show that this story was heard across the border.