Nova Scotia woman charged after dog dies, 7 others seized from van

A woman in Tantallon, N.S., faces three charges after SPCA investigators say they found eight dogs living in deplorable conditions in a van Monday night.

"It is quite a bad situation considering how unsanitary the conditions were," said Jo-Anne Landsburg, chief provincial inspector for the SPCA.

One of the dogs was found dead in the vehicle. Another has a broken leg, which may need to be amputated. 

Landsburg says the SPCA had received a complaint about the owner before, but investigators found there was no reason to remove her animals at that time. She would not elaborate on the nature of the complaint.

Filthy conditions

On Monday, police called the organization and investigators found five of the dogs in the vehicle. When she arrived on scene, the owner said she had three more dogs and told the SPCA she had been evicted and moved the animals to her van, Landsburg said. 

"We would suspect that they had probably been there for two weeks or so just because of the condition of the animals and because of the filth," Landsburg said.

"Three of the dogs were kept in very small kennels, not large enough for them to move around or even sit up. Another was tied in the front seat."

The seven surviving dogs all had to be shaved because their fur was matted and filthy. They're also being treated for parasites.

Dogs in recovery

"They were severely dehydrated. When we got them back to the shelter, they probably drank a gallon of water each."

A woman has been charged under the Animal Protection Act with failing to provide water, confining animals and causing an animal to be distress.

The dogs will be put up for adoption as soon as they recover.

The SPCA has not released the woman's name and did not say when she will be in court.