The Calgary Humane Society is asking for the public’s help in finding out who abandoned two young puppies in a Costco parking lot last month. The person responsible could face a fine of up to $20,000.
On Nov. 30, a “good Samaritan” found the puppies in an unsealed box outside a Costco store in the city’s east end and turned them in to the humane society, the group said in a press release.
The six-week-old, female shepherd-cross breed puppies were found skinny and underfed and will be fostered for several weeks before they can be adopted.
The humane society’s investigative arm has been looking at the store’s security footage but hasn’t been able to track down the culprits. So now, they’re asking anyone with information about the incident to come forward.
“The abandonment of six-week-old puppies in freezing temperatures is not only a callous act, but frankly, a criminal one,” Brad Nichols, senior manager of the society’s animal cruelty investigations, said in the statement.
Whoever did this could face a fine of up to $20,000, a potential lifetime ban on owning pets and five years in jail.
“The age of the puppies and the low temperatures of the day could have had a catastrophic outcome had they not been found so quickly and turned in,” Nichols said.
He added that if someone has unwanted pets they can drop them off at the Calgary Humane Society or at a 24-hour veterinary clinic.
“There’s zero reason to leave an animal out in the cold,” Nichols told CTV Calgary.
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Calgary Humane Society at 403-204-4455 or online at www.calgaryhumane.ca through the “report cruelty” link.
