Nova Scotia SPCA charges 2 after dogs left outside in freezing weather

The Nova Scotia SPCAhas laid animal cruelty charges against two Halifax-area men in connection with leaving dogs outside in freezing temperatures.

In mid-November, theSPCAsaid its officers responded to a complaint that there was a mother dog and puppies living outside in the cold at a North Preston residence.

They found a female dog with a litter of puppies living in an outdoor pen with inadequate shelter, the SPCAsaid in a release.

The officers issued an order for the owner to bring all the dogs inside andto provide appropriate shelter, along with adequate food and water.

Mother dog and pups seized

Two days later, officers returned to the property tocheck up on the animals and again, found the mother and the puppies all living outside in freezing temperatures and in the same inadequate shelter.

The owner was not home at the time of the visit andSPCAofficers seized the mother and eight puppies from the property. The dogs were taken into the custody of the SPCA, where they were treatedand housed until they were ready for adoption, according to the agency.

The former owner is charged withcausing animals to be in distress, failing to provide animals with adequate water and food, and confining animals in an area with inadequate space and unsanitary conditions, the SPCAsaid.

The man is scheduled to appear Feb. 22 in Dartmouth provincial court.

Dog tied outside in freezing weather

During a cold snap in January, Halifax Regional Police seized apitbull-type dog from a Spryfield property after it was found freezing and tethered outside, according to the SPCA.The dog was brought to the SPCA for care and treatment. The animal was also found to be suffering from other medical conditions that required treatment.

The owner appealed the seizure to the province'sAnimal Cruelty Appeal Board, part of the Agriculture Department, according to the SPCA.A hearing was then held and the appeal boardoverturned the seizure and ordered the return of the dog to the owner, to the dismay of the SPCA.

"I'm very disappointed and concerned that the appeal board has once again returned an animal to a situation after it was placed in harm's way and suffering from untreated medical illness," SPCA chief provincial inspector JoAnne Landsburg said.

"It is very important that we send a strong message that you cannot leave your pet outside in freezing temperatures, and this isn't it."

The owner, a 34-year-old Spryfield man, is charged with causing his dog to be in distress andis due inHalifax provincial court Mar. 22.