Yesterday I was approached by a nice young woman requesting a monthly donation to the Ottawa Humane Society. She told me of a story of a dog named Breezy. Though I’m sure there are stories like this everywhere, this one was in my city and I hadn’t heard of it. It doesn’t start happy at all, but there is a happy ending.
Stephen Helfer, 24, owned a Labrador-shepherd mix dog named Breezy. “Helfer’s attack with a rake and a shovel left Breezy with skull fractures and a swollen brain. Rescuers found her in a garbage bin, where Helfer had tossed her to die.” (Quote from the Ottawa Citizen newspaper article of June 16, 2014. See link below.) Several calls came in from people who saw the attack. It wasn’t long before he was rescued and treated for his injuries.
Helfer was given 1-1/2 credit for his 8 months of pre-trial custody, leaving a sentence of 361 days, he was also prohibited from owning animals for 25 years. This sentence is the longest ever seen in Ottawa and maybe even in Canada’s history for animal cruelty,
A couple in Gatineau (Quebec), John and Sheila, adopted Breezy. He is doing very well and is happy in his new home. You can witness this in the videos below. I don’t know who’s luckier, Breezy or John & Sheila. But I am happy that I heard the good ending, and not followed it through the stages. But I do want to commend the Ottawa Humane Society, Leanne Cusak, John, Sheila, Agent Hammond, the Rescue and Investigation Services and everyone else who helped turn this into a happy ending.
Read more at the Ottawa Citizen newspaper’s article and another at CBC Ottawa News. If you would like to donate to the Ottawa Humane Society, you can go to their site here.
