A 24-year-old woman has been charged with animal cruelty for allegedly causing severe trauma to a dog in Surrey earlier this year.
Investigators believe Lindsey Susan Hirtreiter jammed lighters, jewelry, a fish hook and other objects down a dog’s throat on Valentines Day (Feb. 14).
Ryder, a three-year-old black Labrador retriever, had earlier gone missing from a back yard in the Chimney Heights neighbourhood.
Surrey Mounties received a call from a nearby landlord, who said his blood-soaked tenant came to the door and claimed she had been attacked by a dog.
Police said when they arrived, they found evidence suggesting quite the opposite. Reports at the time indicated police found Ryder bound with electrical cable and in extreme distress.
The woman was indeed soaked in blood, but it’s not believed that it was hers. Ryder had suffered several stab wounds from scissors and had cuts in his mouth.
It's also believed a child may have been present when the incident took place. The child was seized by the Ministry of Children and Families.
Ryder received life-saving veterinary treatment, including specialized treatment for a puncture wound to his eye and lacerations to the back of his throat. He has since been reunited with his family.
This week, Hirtreiter was charged with two counts under the Criminal Code of Canada and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
If convicted, she faces a maximum fine of $75,000, up to two years in jail and a ban on owning animals.