SCRAPS: Dog Owner Charged With Animal Cruelty & Unsafe Confineme - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

UPDATE: Owner of Neglected Dog Turns Himself In, Dog Expected To Make Full Recovery

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by Kelsey Watts, KHQ Local News Anchor/Reporter - bio | email

SPOKANE, Wash – A few days after a one-year-old husky mix ‘Nanook' was brought in to a veterinarian by a concerned resident, it's owner has turned himself in.

The dog was brought to SCRAPS with extreme injuries to its neck after a choke collar had been left on it for weeks, to the point where it became embedded in its neck.

SCRAPS said the owner saw news reports about the dog and turned himself in.  SCRAPS is charging the man, who had not been named, with second-degree animal cruelty and unsafe confinement.

If convicted on both counts, the owner could be facing up to $6,000 in fines or 6 years in jail.

The good news is Nanook is not only expected to survive, but veterinarians say he should make a full recovery.  Tuesday, he went home with a new family who is able to provide for his medical needs while he continues to recover.

"The dog is just a love," SCRAPS Exec. Dir. Nancy Hill told KHQ.  "He's happy to see everyone."

 Previous Coverage:

PRESS RELEASE FROM SCRAPS: The owner of a dog recently found with an embedded collar has been charged with Second Degree Animal Cruelty and Confinement in an Unsafe Manner by SCRAPS.  

The dog, a one year old, male, husky-mix, was found on Friday, January 25, 2013 with a wound around its neck consistent with a collar or cable becoming embedded over a long period of time.

The owner of the dog came forward and released the dog to SCRAPS. "We have interviewed the owner and been told how this injury occurred," said Nancy Hill, the Executive Director of SCRAPS. "We encourage everyone to fence their yard rather than tethering a dog so this kind of injury doesn't happen."

RCW 16.52.207 indicates that animal cruelty in the 2nd degree is a gross misdemeanor and RCW 16.52.080 is a misdemeanor. Misdemeanors are punishable by up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1000 fine. Gross misdemeanors are punishable by up to 365 days in jail and/or a $5000 fine.

Nanook, the dog, was taken to the vet, where he had to undergo surgery. He is expected to fully recover, although he will still need follow-up care. His care and treatment are being paid for through the SCRAPS Hope Foundation and private donations. 

Numerous individuals have come forward to adopt the dog, but he has already found a new home and an owner who can work with the dog's special medical needs.