Dog drowns in bag after being thrown into river
Ottawa, ON (CA)

Incident Date: Sunday, Jul 31, 2011

Disposition: Open

Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!

A dead terrier was recovered from the bottom of Rideau Falls on Sunday afternoon after someone put the dog in a bag and threw it into the Ottawa River.

The dog was recovered near Sussex Drive, just below the falls. Firefighters said the dog had been in the water for an extended period, and resuscitation was not possible. The dog died from drowning.

The call came in to Ottawa Fire Services just after 4 p.m. It was not clear whether the dog was alive at that point, firefighters said.

However, about the same time, the Ottawa Humane Society had received a call from a passerby, who was upset to learn that since the society's emergency worker was already attending to another incident, it would be a few hours before they could arrive to recover the dog's body.

Sharon Miko, director of operations at the Ottawa Humane Society, said they would be investigating the incident.

"Obviously, if this was the deliberate drowning of a helpless animal it was an extreme act of cruelty," she said. "It's also a criminal offence."

Miko said the humane society intended to fully investigate the matter.

"We always urge people if they're not able to care for their animal to bring it to the Ottawa Humane Society," she said.

Though the humane society recently reported that its new facility was at capacity, Miko said they would always find a way to take in an animal that could no longer be looked after.

"It's terrible when we're faced with situations like this," she said. "We are an open admission facility, and (for) anybody who had no other option, we would never turn an animal away."

Anybody with information is urged to contact the Ottawa Humane Society at 613-725-3166 ext. 224.

If you have information on this case, please contact:
Ottawa Humane Society
613-725-3166 ext. 224

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