Montreal dog adopted by loving couple after being violently beaten by previous owner
After a harrowing life of being beaten almost to death by her previous owner, Eva -- formerly known as Angie -- was adopted by a loving Montreal couple.
"They didn't tell us much, but they explained that it was a dog seized by the police," said her new owner, who asked to have his identification removed for fear that Eva's previous owner will come searching for her. "We decided to take her and give her all the love and all the care she deserves."
The man says he and his wife are both "huge animal lovers" and had been mourning the loss of their boxer in 2017.
"I was still not ready to adopt a new dog yet," he said. "My wife was, but not me. We babysat for friends sometimes and every time, we realized how much we love dogs and appreciate what they bring to our lives."
He explains over the years, they fostered dogs for different organizations in Montreal, providing a "lovely and stable environment for dogs who have been in a shelter for a long time," while also helping with rehabilitation and behavioural work.
"Bottom line, we had the time, the passion and the love to be a foster family," he said.
He says when they got the call about taking Eva in, they couldn't refuse.
After a harrowing life of being beaten almost to death by her previous owner, Eva -- formerly known as Angie -- was adopted by a loving Montreal couple.
Eva's previous owner, a man in his 20s, was sentenced to seven months in prison for violently beating her after a criminal probe was initiated in January 2020, following a report of abuse.
"The dog was found in a deplorable state in a blood-soaked apartment by animal protection officers," the Montreal SPCA states. "When they arrived, the officers found a lethargic animal with a punctured eye, nearly half of her teeth broken and an open wound on her skull."
The man pleaded guilty to two charges of willfully causing unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to a dog and one charge of willfully failing to provide suitable and adequate care to a dog.
He was sentenced to one, two and seven months in prison to be served concurrently.
He is also prohibited from having custody, control or being on the same premises as an animal for the next 15 years.
"He deserves what he got and even more, but under all that, we have to question ourselves: why did he reach the point of beating up his dog to a point of almost killing her?" Eva's new owner asks. "I will never forgive what he did. I hope he gets help in prison and will go to therapy, otherwise all this will be useless."
He admits things haven't been completely smooth sailing with Eva as she requires a lot of "love, patience and time" -- in addition to a host of medications as part of her healing process.
"She came with a real pharmacy," he recalls. "She was prescribed so many medications for so many different treatments. We were shocked."
After six months of fostering, the couple decided to officially adopt Eva.
"We were so happy for her. She would never have to worry again, never have to be in pain and never have to go to sleep scared," he said. "She is a real angel. She has so much love to give. So cuddly, so patient and incredible with kids."
After a harrowing life of being beaten almost to death by her previous owner, Eva -- formerly known as Angie -- was adopted by a loving Montreal couple.
Looking back on their months spent together so far, he says he's seen a real change in Eva.
"When we got her, she didn't behave like a 'normal' dog. She wasn't used to walking around, she was very reactive with anything that moved -- leaves, bags, birds, squirrels," he said. "Slowly, her personality is emerging and she's fantastic and clumsy and so smart."
He points out having a pet is a long-term commitment and only people willing to take on that responsibility "with love" should consider it.
"A dog is not a toy or an object," he states. "It's unbelievable how a dog gives back and loves you unconditionally."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.