Pet-Abuse.Com - Animal Abuse Case Details: Dog found abandoned with weights tied to collar

Cruelty Database » Case Details

Case Snapshot

Case ID: 11262

Classification: Neglect / Abandonment

Animal: dog (non pit-bull)

View more cases in ON (CA)

Login to Watch this Case

Images for this Case

all 2 media files »

Dog found abandoned with weights tied to collar
Welland, ON (CA)

Incident Date: Saturday, Apr 7, 2007

Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 2 files available

Alleged: Joseph Cote

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

A dog found along the Chippawa Creek with two dumbbells tied around its neck has a new lease on life.

The Niagara Falls Humane Society has been flooded with calls from residents wanting to help care for the animal, since learning of its plight. Many people are offering financial help, while others want to give the elderly dog a new home.

Shelter staff have nicknamed the dog Queen Waldorf, as she was found last weekend near the King Waldorf Tent and Trailer Park.

Officials at the animal shelter continue to investigate the incident to determine if someone had weighted down the dog in an attempt to drown it.

After the dog was spotted by a passerby and brought to the shelter by Humane Society staff, it cowered in its cage, ears drooping.

"We are hoping that someone will recognize this dog and contact the shelter," said Don Horvath, an inspector with the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"Somebody out there knows this dog. If you recognize her, please contact us as soon as possible."

The shelter will post updates on its website about Queen Waldorf's progress and when she will be available for adoption.

"We will then begin taking applications to determine the best home for her," Horvath said.

The dog was spotted last Saturday afternoon by two people riding ATVs along the Chippawa Parkway. Two dumbbells, weighing a total of 2.25 kilograms, were tied to a rope that was tied to the dog's collar.

The collar was so tight, all the hair from around her neck was gone. Horvath said the dog has numerous health issues and is now under the care of a veterinarian.

The animal shelter has an account where donated money is earmarked for rewards in animal cruelty cases. Donations will also be accepted to help with the dog's medical costs.

For more information on the dog, visit www.niagarafallshumanesociety.com.

Case Updates

The case of a Fort Erie man accused of abusing a German shepherd that was found abandoned in Niagara Falls was put over on Aug 15.

Queen Waldorf was found with two weights tied to a rope around its neck at the water's edge of Chippawa Creek last spring.

The dog was emaciated and near death when it was rescued.

Joseph Cote, 51, was charged with causing unnecessary suffering to an animal by failing to provide veterinary treatment, failing to provide suitable and adequate care for an animal and abandoning an animal in distress.

The case will be discussed in St. Catharines court Sept. 12, when a date is to be set for trial.

Source: The Standard - Aug 16, 2007
Update posted on Aug 24, 2007 - 3:30AM

Back to Top

The owner of an eight-year-old dog found at the riverside with weights around its neck over the Easter weekend has been charged with three counts of animal cruelty.

Joseph Cote, 51, of Fort Erie, was charged by the Niagara Falls Humane Society Wednesday with causing unnecessary suffering to an animal by failing to provide veterinary treatment, failing to provide suitable and adequate care for an animal and abandoning an animal in distress, under the Criminal Code of Canada.

If found guilty, Cote could face up to six months in jail, a fine up to $2,000 and a two-year prohibition on owning animals.

Residents in the Queenston Street neighbourhood where Cote lives contacted the Humane Society when they recognized photos of the dog - dubbed Queen Waldorf, by Humane Society staff because she was found near King Waldorf's Tent and Trailer Park - from newspaper photos.

Humane Society officers began knocking on doors showing photos of the abandoned dog to neighbours.

Eventually, word got back to Cote officers wanted to talk to him.

Don Horvath, an inspector with the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said Cote showed up at the animal shelter April 23 for an interview and charges were formally laid Wednesday. He said Cote denies deliberately harming the dog.

"He said the animal got loose," Horvath said.

Horvath said Queen Waldorf is "250 per cent better" than she was when rescued after a passerby noticed the dog crouching at the water's edge at the trailer park adjacent to Marineland April 7.

The trailer park is about one kilometre from Cote's place of employment, Horvath said.

When animal control officers found her, the dog had 2.25 kilograms of weights tied around her neck with a thick, weathered rope. She was underweight with overgrown nails and bald patches where her too-tight collar had worn away the fur.

Since then, she has gained weight and her fur has started to grow back, Horvath said.

The Humane Society will begin taking applications from people eager to adopt the black-and-tan Shepherd mix on Tuesday. However, she will remain at the shelter until June 3 when she will be presented to her new owners during the Wiggle-Waggle Walk-a-thon.

"We've had so many people want to see her so we thought this would be a good way for people to get a look at her," Horvath said.

Source: Osprey Media - May 3, 2007
Update posted on May 3, 2007 - 11:12AM

Back to Top

References

Niagara Falls Humane Society

Not sure what these icons mean? Click here.

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.

Site Map ¤ Disclaimer ¤ Privacy Policy

Dog found abandoned with weights tied to collarWelland, ON (CA)

Case Updates

References

Dog found abandoned with weights tied to collar
Welland, ON (CA)