Calgary man charged after ‘multiple’ alleged animal abuse incidents this past year

The Calgary Humane Society and the Calgary Police Service jointly investigated multiple alleged incidents of animal abuse involving a dog owner, leading to charges against a 41-year-old man due in court in January. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

CALGARY — Police in Calgary say a 41-year-old man has been charged with animal abuse for allegedly kicking and striking his dog, and later breaking a court order to take the animal back from the Calgary Humane Society.

Police say transit officers saw a man “striking and kicking his dog” on video surveillance at a CTrain station back in July, but the man was not found or identified at the time.

The Calgary Police Service says the same man was allegedly seen on train station surveillance cameras abusing his dog on Dec. 9, and transit officers detained him, seized the animal, and it was given over to the Calgary Humane Society.

The service says in a statement that the dog was forfeited after the man failed to meet the conditions for its return, and a week later, he allegedly attended the Calgary Humane Society and “stole the dog” from a volunteer dog walker.

Police say he was arrested and charged with theft and ordered not to return, but he allegedly came back to the society’s property on Monday and Tuesday, when he was arrested again.

The statement says the man faces two counts of causing injury to an animal, two counts of an owner wilfully causing pain and suffering to an animal, breach of release charges and one count of methamphetamine possession.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 24, 2025.

The Canadian Press