People on Vancouver Island were heartbroken when they heard about Teddy, the Duncan dog who died after being severely neglected by his owners.
Duncan couple Anderson Joe and Melissa Tooshley were arrested and charged with animal cruelty after Teddy was found tied up with a rope that was only a few inches long, and standing in a pile of mud and feces.
Upon closer inspection, it became evident that his collar had dug deep into his neck, causing severe infection and making his head swell up to two to three times its normal size. Teddy succumbed to his injuries on February 18th, just two days after he was rescued.
Justice for Teddy
Dubbed by the SPCA as “one of the most profoundly shocking and disturbing cases of abuse” they have ever seen, Teddy’s case touched the hearts of everyone who read about it.
This petition to Crown Council and local MLA Doug Routley has therefore been started to hold the owners accountable for their actions, by giving them the maximum penalty possible: five years in prison, a $10,000 fine and a lifetime ban on owning animals.
It has been gaining traction since it’s creation and is currently only 500 signatures short of its 13,000 goal.
Peaceful protest
RainCoast Dog Rescue Society, an organization that works towards the rescue and rehabilitation of neglected and abused dogs, is hosting a peaceful protest at the Duncan courthouse to also demand maximum punishment for Teddy’s owners.
“The lack of proper punishment of these types of abusers has gone on for too long,” reads their statement on Facebook.
“Because the precedents that have been set in previous animal abuse cases similar here on Vancouver Island have been deplorable and way too lenient.”
Anderson Joe and Melissa Tooshley are set to appear at the Duncan courthouse for their next court date on April 3rd, 2018.
