A Vancouver-area couple has been charged with animal cruelty after letting their dog’s teeth get so bad that 14 teeth had to be pulled. If convicted, the two could be banned from owning animals forever, and face fines of up to $5,000 or six months in jail.
Pudding, a black terrier, was diagnosed with severe periodontal disease last year after he was found loose in his neighborhood and picked up by animal control. Authorities ordered Pudding’s owners to get the dog dental work. But by that point, the work would be well into thousands of dollars. The owners did nothing.
Vets say this type of tooth problem is not only unhealthy for dogs, but extremely painful. Poor Pudding was surely suffering. He has been taken away from his owners, given the dental work he needed, and rehomed. And his owners face the aforementioned possible prison sentence.
What do you think of this, Dogsters? How many of you brush your dog’s teeth every day? How many of you have the money to go in for regular dental cleanings? Would you be able to cope financially if you suddenly realized your dog had bad teeth? (I hear small dogs are more prone to these problems than large dogs.) It’s terrible that the dog suffered like this, but is jail necessary for the owners? Could Pudding’s owners have cared about him but not been able to do anything because of limited finances? I’m very interested in your opinions on this toothy problem.
Source: The Vancouver Sun
