A woman in Wingham has pleaded guilty to an Ontario SPCA charge for failing to provide veterinary care for her senior dog.
Marie Blom’s 19-year-old collie/shepherd-type dog was suffering from a cancerous mass on her front paw.
According to the Ontario SPCA, a veterinarian found “the cancerous mass would have been visible on the dog’s front paw for months and would have caused significant discomfort and pain.”
Darren Grandel, senior inspector with the Ontario SPCA, said in a statement “It’s important that any time an animal becomes ill or the animal’s body changes, like a growth developing, that the owner, caregiver or guardian seeks the help of a licensed veterinarian.”
Blom said she had tried to treat the wound by washing it with detergent.
A Wingham police officer took the dog to a veterinarian in October 2012, and the dog was euthanized shortly afterward.
At the time the dog’s front leg had swelled to nearly three times its normal size and had a grapefruit-sized open wound.
Under the Ontario SPCA Act, Blom was sentenced to 18 months probation, five years prohibition from owning animals and a $250 fine.
Pet owners are reminded there are alternatives to allowing an animal to go without adequate care and should contact the Ontario SPCA to discuss services.
