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Winnipeg Free Press > Local > Cat abuse prompts call to report cruelty cases

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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Cat abuse prompts call to report cruelty cases

By: Gabrielle Giroday

10/03/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 22

Winnipeg Humane Society executive director Bill McDonald with Shady the cat, who suffered a horrific beating and is now available for adoption.

PHIL.HOSSACK@FREEPRESS.MB.CA Enlarge Image

Winnipeg Humane Society executive director Bill McDonald with Shady the cat, who suffered a horrific beating and is now available for adoption.

SHADY the cat used up nearly all of her nine lives in a horrific beating.

The disturbing case has the head of the Winnipeg Humane Society calling for more people to come forward with animal cruelty complaints.

"This is a case where this cat hadn't done anything to anybody, and somebody went out of their way to abuse the cat," said Bill McDonald, the Humane Society's executive director. "Sometimes, people have to be taught ethics the hard way. And the hard way in this case is the law, and that's why the police are involved with this case."

The cat was rescued by police and an animal protection officer on Jan. 29 from a home in the northwest part of the city.

The three-year-old black cat, which is recovering from a fractured jaw, had been sprayed in the face with air freshener, kicked in the head and stomach and struck with a dumb-bell. Her body was covered in cuts when officials found her.

The cat was seized after her owner called the humane society seeking medical help.

McDonald said the humane society seizes about 12 to 20 animals per year.

That number jumps significantly into the hundreds if a puppy mill is uncovered.

"There's abuse going on out there that's not reported. Pets are dying and we just simply don't know about it," he said.

Animal protection officers who work for the humane society handle about 40 to 60 investigations each month, McDonald said. Only a handful of those cases result in federal Criminal Code or provincial Animal Care Act charges each year.

No one has been charged in the cat attack, but police are seeking a female suspect.

Last week, police charged another woman with poisoning her cat. It's alleged she fed the animal hand sanitizer.

Shady is available for adoption from the humane society.

gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca

 

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 10, 2010 B2

22 Commentscomment icon

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Null, your comment about the abuse you see on your reservation brought me to tears. All these animals want is someone to love them and give them a safe home. They are innocent. And for someone to go do the things you've stated are done in your area makes me sick. Perhaps I have too big of a heart for animals but to even think of one being unloved, let alone abused, starved or killed like that just breaks me.

Senior Lady: Just to clarify...When I say I am from the "North" I meant Northern Manitoba on a reserve. Hope that helps.

null: I have lived in the North End most of my adult life, and I have Never seen anyone abuse an animal.
I love animals and would never hurt one. I would get so very ticked off when I found cat poo in my gardens!! I was absolutely furious! (just spittin' nails!) But, hurt the cat....NEVER!!
So, yes, anyone that hurts an animal, is deranged!!

avatar

b_dog… There are laws to protect women and children against abuse and they should be tightened up. Nobody will dispute that. Animals also are afforded protection under the law however they are antiquated and have fallen far behind todays public intolerance of animal abuse. Clearer definitions of abuse backed up by meaningful financial penalties and periods of incarceration for offenders must be addressed by legislators. This issue has been on the back burner far too long.

b_dog:

Chances are, those that are abusing children, women and the handicapped started out as, or are, animal abusers. Stopping animal abuse might just net you less people abuse. No living thing should be subjected to torture and pain just because it exists and someone else can't deal with that. These sick people need help. I know this first hand as a family member was both an animal and people abuser. This person is dead now and can't hurt anyone anymore, but there is no forgiving what they did. Never.

Yes, there is a special place reserved for these kinds of people, and based on the articles published this week, that place is the North End. Disgusting.

b-dog.. what? as i've said many times before, i've worked for the humane society and currently work for the justice system... you clearly have no idea what you're talking about. Animals have less rights than people. It's CRIMINALS (criminals are not people in my opinion. They're monsters) that have all the rights. Until that stops, nothing will be fair.

I used to work for the humane society's investigations department. Needless to say, I quit. I spent almost 2 long years battling this never ending fight. To this day, it still makes me sick to hear about things like this, even though I've probably seen worse. There's never anyone held accountable, and police rarely get involved. It's extremely hard to PROVE animal abuse, unless you have witnesses or evidence. Unfortunately, people beat on animals because they are weaker and can't speak for themselves. People need to start speaking up and being less afraid of these abusers. Animal abusers are cowards. If left to it, their habits will develop into violence against people. The system won't change, and an animal can't be saved, WITHOUT YOUR HELP.. START SPEAKING UP AND REPORTING ANIMAL ABUSE.

What did Shady do to deserve this? NOTHING!

Our laws in Canada concerning animal cruelty is a joke!! There needs to be stiff mandatory jail sentences, fines, banned from ever owning other pet for life. California is thinking about making the names public on people who abuse animals, like the registered sex offenders list. A woman in the states was sentenced to 10 years in prison for running a puppy mill with horrific conditions. We need to go our MLA's, MP's to get this going. Enough is enough!!

To Daisy Duke, A.K., Shady and many more animals who have been abused, this should be a wake up call.

The Harper Government is no way interested in this. So we let mentally disturbed people off the hook, why....because it's just a dumb animal? Animals teach us so much about ourselves, they give so much and ask for so little. Unconditional love is what animals are all about. They are a member of the family.

"If you have never loved an animal, then part of your soul hasn't been awakened."

I pray that the police catch this POS soon.

I'm glad to hear the cat is recovering and hope it is adopted by a loving family. It's unforunate that animals are treated like this. I live in the North and you wouldn't believe the animal abuse that goes on here. From people slitting dogs throats to dogs heads being put on a pole and stuck in a snowbank. Dogs are shot on a daily basis because they have become wild. The only dogs that should be wild are dingos as they are wild dogs. These dogs are not meant to be wild, they are meant to be someone's pet, unfortunately they are left to fend for themselves and either die from starvation or are shot. It's unfortunate that not all people treat animals with the respect that they deserve.

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