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
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.