Update: Kylie Nikkels was found not gulity on all charges in a Jan. 24 verdict.
Original story: A Vancouver Island woman has been criminally charged after a small dog was beaten so viciously it had to be put down, according to the BC SPCA.
The incident took place in Courtenay back in April, when Kylie Nikkels was left alone with her grandmother’s teacup Chihuahua Bianca, said BC SPCA Senior Animal Protection Officer Tina Heary.
Heary said the dog was left in critical condition and had to be euthanized.
“There was severe hemorrhaging, Bianca had a crushed skull and chest and it was very, very tragic,” she said.
What exactly happened in the attack or what prompted it remains unclear, but Heary said somebody contacted the BC SPCA about the incident and an investigation was launched.
She said it was one of the more horrific animal abuse cases the agency has dealt with.
“When you are dealing with animal as frail as a petite little teacup Chihuahua that has sustained a significant beating that resulted in its ultimate death, yes, I would say that’s a horrendous file,” she said.
Nikkels faces charges of causing unnecessary pain or suffering to an animal, and killing or injuring an animal.
She is expected to make her first court appearance on Oct. 20 at the Courtenay Law Courts.
With files from CTV Vancouver Island's Jessica Lepp
