Dog near death after student allegedly starves it
By Mercedes Deutscher, News Editor
Three animal cruelty charges have been laid against Yu Lin, a 24-year-old former Coquitlam resident and SFU student who allegedly abandoned his starved pet Husky, Willow, in Maple Ridge.
While the SPCA had identified Lin in their investigation shortly after Willow was found in January 2015, charges have only recently been laid. The Crown has been working through a large number of animal cruelty charges and cases.
âThis wasnât a situation of finances, intelligence, and ability. Itâs just neglect and cruelty,â said Marcie Moriarty of the BC SCPA to CTV. âHe has clearly demonstrated a lack of ability to care for an animal.â
Lin will make his first court appearance on March 1.
Should Lin be convicted, he will likely receive a lifetime ban from owning animals, a fine of up to $75,000, and two years imprisonment.
Willow first made local headlines when she was found abandoned in Maple Ridge last January. She was 11 kilograms underweight and struggling to walk.
In an interview with Maple Ridge News, Lorie Chortyk of the local SPCA described Willow as: âassessed with a score of âoneâ on the canine body conditioning scale of one to nine, meaning that she was severely malnourished.â
Willow had been found with gravel in her digestive tract, which veterinarians suspected was eaten by Willow to try to stay alive. She could not lie down due to pain caused by the gravel.
Thankfully, Willow was able to make a speedy and full recovery within six weeks, and was adopted by a Maple Ridge family last March.
