A South River man is banned from owning animals for 10 years following a guilty plea to an animal cruelty charge. Travis Stillaway was also sentenced to a two-year probation, ordered to surrender any animals in his care to the SPCA, and pay $250 in restitution.
The 22-year-old pleaded guilty in a Sundridge court on Thursday to one count of permitting distress to an animal.
The Ontario SPCA says a yellow Labrador dog was brought to the Muskoka Animal Centre as a stray back in August, after being found running at large in South River. The SPCA says it was thin, and after officials looked into it they found the dog belonged to Stillaway. The SPCA then carried out a search warrant at his home, and found a Lhasa Apso-type dog living in what officials call deplorable conditions. The SPCA says the dog was dirty, matted and frightened, and was tethered to a living room table by a cord around five feet long with no access to food and water. A vet determined the dog was underweight with poor muscle mass.
The SPCA says the two dogs have both recovered and were adopted into homes.
You can report animal cruelty to the SCPA’s province-wide hotline at 310-SPCA (7722).