The discovery of a dog with a choke chain embedded so deeply in its neck that it had to be surgically removed has led to charges for a Vancouver Island man.
Daniel Elliott has been charged with animal cruelty after the young pit bull-cross was found tethered on his Ladysmith-area property last February.
The dog was “extremely lethargic” and the wound caused by the choke chain was badly infected, the BC SPCA said in a media release.
Elliott surrendered the dog and it was taken to a veterinary clinic in Nanaimo for treatment.
“In a case like this, not only can you see the embedded collar, but the amount of discharge and odour from the infection should have been a clear indication that the poor dog was in distress,” said BC SPCA Const. Toni Morrison. “It’s clear from the severity of the wound that the choke chain had been embedded under his skin for some time.”
The dog, now named Archer, bounced back after treatment and has been adopted to a loving family.
“He’s been through so much and we’re so glad he is now in a happy, healthy environment,” said Morrison.
If convicted of animal cruelty, Elliott faces up to two years behind bars, a fine of up to $75,000 and a lifetime ban on owning animals.
