by Two puppies have been freed from an apartment after neighbors complained to authorities the puppies may have been left alone for weeks. “It was honestly disgusting. There were feces everywhere. The stench went into my apartment,” said neighbor Jenna Grolway of what she saw. She was one of the neighbors who complained to CTV News after authorities in the Canadian did not immediately respond. She and other neighbors in the Ottawa apartment complex said that the owner hadn’t been seen in weeks and the dogs are barking and crying constantly.
The Ontario SPCA were let into the apartment by the landlord after the neighbors’ concerns grew about the welfare of the two 5-month old Rottweiler mixes.
It appears that red tape may have kept police and the landlord from acting sooner. But that changed on Monday, November 20, 2017 when authorities arrived to free the dogs named Rosie and Moonshine. The Ontario SPCA said the pair of puppies were not in distress.
CTV News first reported the residents’ concerns a week ago and released cellphone video footage filmed by one of the neighbors, Reema Chamseddine. The video was shot through an outside window and captures both dogs alone inside the apartment, which appeared to be a mess. Chamseddine said at the time, “There’s garbage everywhere. All over the apartment. There is feces everywhere. One dog has been locked in a cage.”
The dog’s owner was reached by CTV News, who learned that the man had to travel to Alberta after his father died. The man said a roommate was supposed to be looking after them. A Facebook post suggests he left town on November 6. He said in a later comment that the roommate “ditched” the dogs, and asked if anyone in the area is able to care for them.
“My understanding is that the owners have been absent, but they have asked someone to care for the dogs, and that person may have been absent for a period of time,” Ottawa City Coun. Jean Cloutier told news reporters.
The Ontario SPCA says they are continuing to investigate and revealed that people were seen at the apartment on November 18th, two days before police arrived.
Rosie and Moonshine are now being cared for by neighbors but the puppies’ owner told the news station he has asked for another friend to come and take care of the. However, when asked by CTV when he would return, he stopped communications.
Grolway says she doesn’t like what happened and that the dogs shouldn’t be treated this way: “It’s a living and breathing animal. That’s not right.”
Thank goodness Rosie and Sunshine had their neighbors looking out for them.
