Horror in Peterborough

Outrage and disgust abound in Peterborough, Ontario this week as four dogs were "rescued" from an ostensibly empty house - purportedly abandoned to fend for themselves for 6 long, agonizing weeks. The Peterborough Examiner has a rather (badly) written article on this here.

The group that purportedly "rescued" them is crying foul - and saying the Peterborough Humane Society was advised of the dogs' plight and refused to intercede despite repeated attempts to get them to go in and save these animals.

Unfortunately, the group which in the Peterborough Examiner called themselves Give A Dog A Second Chance, a Durham Region rescue shelter have a rather spotty history themselves. Original founder, Melita Ferrugia has been accused of a number of unsavoury practices  - (not proven insofar as I am aware but the burden of evidence is compelling) - from selling "rescued" puppies, unvetted (and often with illnesses including parvo and parasites), to ostensibly breeding her own dogs repeatedly to sell for inflated prices on kiiji and craigslist.  This blog here  lists a number of cautions about dealing with the self styled rescue group and in particular Melita.

I admit, it bothers me that the group still styles itself publicly as Give a Dog a Second Chance, yet when you click on a google link to a page under that name you get this.  Yes, a Doggie Day Care and Boarding Facility with "rescue dogs" (and some fairly illiterate writers incidentally).

This came to my attention when someone self-styled as Mel DeVille popped up on the Support Cheri Di Novo in Removing ALL Aspects of BSL Facebook page . 

Claiming first that the dogs were "three of these dogs are pit bull mixes, and need fostering.
two females, one male(who will be coming to stay with me)" and seeking donations a little further on in the conversation when clearly, as the article states,

The two males are a wirehair terrier and a teacup Chihuahua, while the females are a wirehair terrier and a pit bull/boxer mix.

 so ONE only was maybe, loosely, a pittie mix - hardly possible to mistake a wirehair terrier and a chihuahua as pit bull MIXES.

Of course, a little lower down the donation pleas come in..

A word of advice, people - REPUTABLE rescues will pretty well ALWAYS provide a direct link to the VET doing the actual vetting - thus ensuring the funds go directly where they are needed.  I have asked for the vet's name and the clinic name, so we'll see.

Further as i find out more.

HOWEVER, that aside, I have ALSO written the Peterborough Humane Society. As affiliates of the OSPCA with its bloated, outrageous and legal right to pretty well do as they wish, I have asked the Organization (a) if they knew of these dogs, and (b) if so, WHAT did they know?

In the article in the Examiner, it looks like the original owners were claiming to have been going in and feeding the dogs (an interesting read, follow the link and read the comments, quite a little firestorm happeneing).  I think it entirely possible they were NOT - and regardless, leaving dogs alone in their own waste without supervision, proper exercise and company is inexcuseable.

So, WERE the dogs abandoned as stated?

DID the Peterborough Humane Society know about this and deliberately refuse to get involved?

Lots and lots of questions... would love to hear from anyone that knows more about this tragic situation.

most of all, I would like to know those dogs are being seen by a vet.

If indeed they ingested drywall, wood and other materials, they should be in a clinic, being monitored on a 24 hour basis...