Teen and older man charged over burned dog

Dora

(CNS): A North Side teenager who was arrested in a case relating to a burned dog has now been charged with cruelty to animals. In addition, he and a 63-year-old man, also from North Side, were charged with causing unnecessary suffering and failing to exercise proper care and supervision. They have both been bailed and are due to appear in court next Tuesday. The cruelty allegations arose following an incident back in May, when a report was made to the police that a pit bull cross-breed named Dora, who was pregnant, had been set  on fire.  

Officers responded to the North Side area but were unable to find the animal. With help from volunteers from the Cayman Islands Humane Society, Dora was found later that day. Although she was badly burned on the abdomen, she was alive and after being treated by a local vet she survived the ordeal, though she lost the puppies.

Despite the growing number of animal cruelty reports, with more than 200 made this year already, the cases rarely result in any arrests and when they do, they do not often reach the courts. Both the police and officials from the Department of Agriculture note that it is the director of public prosecutions who makes the decisions as to whether or not cases make it to court.

In a recent post on Cayman’s Animal Watchdog, a Facebook page created by Taura Ebanks to raise awareness about animal cruelty, she urged people to carry on reporting acts of cruelty despite their frustrations.

“Where we pass by an animal, see and know something wrong is happening, nothing will ever change if we remain silent,” Ebanks stated. “Often times the only care or voice the animal will ever have, is the call or report to the DoA or the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS).”

She added, “Change is happening, albeit slowly.”