Justice was finally served for the 99 St. Bernard dogs

Justice was finally served for the 99 St. Bernard dogs that were abandoned by their owner, nearly one year ago. On October 27th, Mary Collis was sentenced on animal cruelty charges and will serve 18 weeks in jail for leaving her dogs unattended while she went on vacation.

Last November Mary Collis, who is a dog breeder and veterinary technician in the U.K. left for a holiday with her partner. A concerned citizen found the dogs five days later. They were covered in feces and urine and without water of food. That person contacted the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals.)

Inspectors on the scene found the St. Bernards in poor health, many with matted fur and eye problems. All of the dogs were emaciated with their ribs and spines visibly showing. It was apparent they had suffered from neglect well before Collis left for vacation.

On the night of the rescue, one dog had to be euthanized because of neglect and another died the following day at a veterinary clinic.

Since the rescue a total of 14 dogs have died as a result of their ordeal.

The remaining 83 dogs have been adopted by the RSPCA to new families and are dong well.

Collis had declared bankruptcy in May 2007 and she was in the process of being evicted from her property when she left the dogs. Her partner said she was suffering from depression and suggested they go “away on a holiday.”

In addition to her jail time, Mary Collis was also banned from keeping any animals for 10 years.

The RSPCA was pleased with the outcome of the hearing and Inspector Clint Davies said, “I think it sends out the right message to people that they are not going to get away with it. I think it shows complete disregard for the animals.”

Many shelters across the U.S. are facing hard times similar to the ones Collis faced. The poor economy is making money to care for animals scarce. But animal rescue groups such as Pet Rescue, Inc. in Miami chose a different route before closing their doors. That group pulled all of their social networking resources together in order to find new homes for the cats and dogs in their care. Volunteers reached out to rescue agencies and animal loving websites for help. They made a pack not to leave behind any pet.

It is sad that Mary Collis didn’t reach out to rescue groups or the RSPCA for help. Because of her poor judgment, 85 dogs suffered for five days and another 14 dogs died.