Bonnie & Clyde: Not enough evidence for wilfull abandonment investigation – Hamilton Spectator

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City of Hamilton animal services says there is no “reasonable information” or evidence to support a wilful abandonment investigation of three Shih Tzu dogs found near Dundas’ Warren Park on July 24.
Two of the dogs — an eight-year-old female and six-year-old male — were renamed Bonnie & Clyde and made available for adoption by animal services staff. The third dog, a 12-year-old female, was placed with a rescue organization due to ongoing health issues.
The two younger dogs had not been spayed or neutered when discovered, but those surgeries have since been performed by animal services.
Canada Kennel Club and SPCA representatives said the fact the dogs were not spayed or neutered is not necessarily an indication they belonged to a breeder.
Meredith Maxwell, director of policy, advocacy and communications for Canada Kennel Club, said it’s concerning the dogs were lost and their owner not located.
“While we cannot speculate on the dogs’ physical condition, reproductive status, or why they were found without their owner, CKC offers CANADACHIP, a national pet recovery program to help reunite dogs with their owners,” Maxwell said.
She said it is the responsibility of breeders to ensure a dog is identified by microchip or tattoo prior to it leaving their premises.
“Every microchipped dog registered with CKC is automatically enrolled in the CANADACHIP Recovery Database,” Maxwell said.
City spokesperson Michelle Shantz said every dog picked up by animal services is scanned for a microchip, and the three Shih Tzu’s were not microchipped.
Michelle McNab of the Hamilton-Burlington SPCA said it would be hard to conclude the dogs belonged to a breeder because they were not spayed or neutered.
“There are many reasons why a person’s dog may or may not be spayed (or) neutered. There are many challenges right now that pet owners are facing and the cost of spay/neuter, rising costs of living, change in housing may all be factors,” McNab said.
She said finding the dogs as strays provides less information to report to provincial animal welfare inspectors.
On Wednesday, Aug. 10, Shantz said there had been some interest in adopting the pair, with a few applications received — but no adoption had been finalized by that date.
Both dogs require additional dental work, which has already been booked in as included in the city’s $660 adoption fee. Shantz said adoption will not be delayed by the need for dental work. Instead, the procedures will be co-ordinated between adopter and animal servicers after adoption.


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