Boo

We say from time to time that no two investigations are ever the same, and Boo’s story is a perfect example. Each investigation has its own challenges, and the outcomes can rarely be predicted. The people our Peace Officers come into contact with on a daily basis while investigating animal welfare complaints can’t be painted with the same brush either. It isn’t always the case that the owners are mean-spirited or abusive toward their animals. Sometimes, it’s simply a matter of not being prepared for all of the responsibilities that come with owning pets and ensuring they receive all of the appropriate care when they need it.

Boo’s plight was brought to our attention by a phone call to Alberta SPCA Animal Protection Services about a Husky dog under treatment at a veterinary clinic. He had been hit by a car and his hind left leg was severely injured. We were contacted because the owner was asking to have the dog released, even though the veterinarian had advised that the dog’s leg had to be amputated in order to relieve his pain. The owner, unable to afford the surgery and desperate to keep his dog, was delaying the clinic from acting in Boo’s best interest. The clinic was eager to see the dog treated quickly and even offered to reduce the costs involved, but the owner still could not come up with any funds.

As part of our Peace Officer’s investigation, this situation was discussed with both the clinic and the owner. The decision was made to give the owner three days to come up with enough money to cover the existing veterinary costs for Boo. If he could not, our officer was prepared to take Boo into protective custody in order to ensure his distress could be relieved with prompt treatment. The deadline arrived and the owner could not pay the bill. Our Peace Officer immediately began contacting other clinics to carry out Boo’s amputation. We were fortunate enough to locate a clinic that was willing to absorb a significant amount of the costs of Boo’s surgery using their own charity fund. Our officer delivered Boo to the clinic and he went in for surgery the very next day.

Our officer contacted the clinic the day after Boo’s surgery and he was doing very well and would soon be ready for release. Once again, our officer contacted the owner to give him one last opportunity to reclaim Boo if he could pay the veterinary expenses. He advised he could not, so after several days of recovery at the clinic, our officer picked up Boo and drove him to a facility that arranges adoptions.