Husky, kitten found dead, muzzled in Calgary alley
A week after a Siberian husky was found dead with its muzzle taped shut in a Calgary alley, a kitten has been found dead with its mouth taped shut near the same location.
The dog was found last Thursday by a Calgary Roads crew in an alley of the southeast community of Willow Park. The society released information about the husky today, hoping members of the public would come forward.
The six-month old cat was found this afternoon by a news crew who were in the area to report on the husky death. The short-haired, black and white cat was found 10 metres away from where the dog was discovered.
"The dog, a young female Siberian husky, was emaciated and had clear medical tape wrapped around its muzzle," said the Calgary Humane Society's Brad Nichols.
The society said both instances are clear cases of intentional animal cruelty that caused significant suffering.
"These cases of intentional cruelty are fairly rare. And they are disturbing and it's frustrating to see that sort of thing happening," he said.
"Emaciated means there was no fat left on the animal and muscle wastage. So, you can see from the picture, but all the ribs would be visible, the spine and the abdominal tuck. Really, it looks like a starved dog."
The humane society said it was not immediately clear if the cat was emaciated, but said the tape would have stopped the animal from being able to eat.
Calgary veterinary clinic Vets to Go announced it was offering a $5,000 reward for anyone with information that would lead to "the identification and conviction of the offender."
The humane society said a number of people wanted to add to the reward.
Nichols said acts such as these would likely lead to charges under the Animal Protection Act and the Criminal Code of Canada and could mean maximum punishments in the range of five years imprisonment, a $20,000 fine and a lifetime ban from caring for animals.
"The animal was either dumped or allowed to go stray, so we don't have any information as far as who this dog belonged to, which is why we reached out to the public."
Anyone who recognizes either animal or has any information is encouraged to contact the Calgary Humane Society protection and investigations department at 403-205-4455.
WARNING: The photos below may be disturbing for some. Do not click through unless you want to view images of the animals.
