The little dog was found by Good Samaritan behind a Canadian shopping mall on December 17, 2015. The Patterdale terrier was immediately rushed to an emergency veterinary clinic where it was determined the dog would not live more than a few hours.
Image credit: Windsor/Essex County Humane Society
The dog was taken to the Windsor/Essex County Humane Society and named Justice and a campaign has been launched on social media to find the dog’s owner. It turns out that Justice’s former owners, Jessica Hems and Adam Esipu, gave the dog to Michael Earl Hill on December 15 and asked him to release the dog to the human community.
The couple had a newborn daughter with a 7-year-old allergy and gave Hill a $60 buyout fee. However, instead of taking the dog to the shelter, Hill tied the little dog up and left it to die in a field.
Image credit: Windsor/Essex County Humane Society
A few days later, after the footage of Justice caught the couple’s attention, Issipu went to the Humane Society and handed Hale over.
Police charged Hill with animal cruelty, and on February 1, 2016, pleaded guilty to a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. Hill will spend the next two years in federal prison. After his release, he will be kept on probation for 3 years and prohibited from having a pet for 25 years.
The Windsor Star reports that Hill will also be banned from owning weapons while on probation and will have to submit a blood sample to the national DNA data bank used by Canadian police to solve the crime.
Ontario District Court Judge Michelin Rollins Hill also ordered psychiatric counseling, saying: “People who become serial killers start with small animals.”
Image credit: Windsor/Essex County Humane Society
Hill has a lengthy criminal record that includes burglary and domestic assault convictions. Recently moved to the Windsor area.
“We at the Humane Society are grateful that the Crown and the Judge took Justice’s case seriously and imposed a harsher ruling than is often given in animal cruelty cases,” the author wrote. Windsor/Essex County Humane Society. “We also thank the Windsor Police Service for all of their hard work throughout the investigation.”
Image credit: Windsor/Essex County Humane Society
Adl is currently undergoing treatment for infections and pre-existing heartworm infections. The humanitarian community is optimistic about his full recovery, but he still has a long way to go before he is ready for adoption.
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