Justice for Teddy: The Dog Whose Suffering Changed a Community Forever
When BC SPCA constables arrived at a rural property in Duncan, British Columbia, on a cold February morning in 2018, they had no idea the scene that awaited them would become one of the most haunting cases of animal cruelty in the organization’s history.
There, chained in the mud, stood a thin brown dog named Teddy — or rather, what was left of him.
His tether was barely a few inches long, preventing him from lying down or escaping the filth beneath his paws. The ground around him was soaked with mud and feces. But what truly broke the officers’ hearts was the sight of Teddy himself.
“As they got closer, the smell was overpowering,” said Marcie Moriarty, chief prevention and enforcement officer for the BC SPCA. “They realized that not only was Teddy severely emaciated, but his collar had actually grown into his neck — causing a massive, infected wound.”
Teddy’s head was swollen to two or three times its normal size, the infection so deep that the metal collar had become part of his flesh.
Without hesitation, the officers used bolt cutters to break the chain and free him from the life of pain he had known. Teddy was rushed to an emergency veterinary clinic, where veterinarians and volunteers worked tirelessly through the night.
They cleaned his wounds, gave him fluids, and did everything they could to ease his suffering. For two days, he was surrounded by gentle hands and kind voices — perhaps the first compassion he had ever known.
But it was too late. Teddy’s small, frail body couldn’t fight any longer. He passed away just two days after his rescue.
The BC SPCA pressed charges against Anderson Joe and Melissa Tooshley, the individuals responsible for Teddy’s condition. The case shook the province — and the country.
Thousands of people signed an online petition demanding justice for Teddy. The story made headlines nationwide, reigniting calls for tougher animal cruelty laws and stronger enforcement.
Finally, years later, a sentence was handed down: a lifetime ban on owning animals and a 90-day suspended sentence for the man responsible.
“No sentence will ever bring this poor dog back or undo the suffering he endured,” Moriarty said. “But our goal was always to make sure this individual would never again have the chance to inflict pain on another animal. That’s why the lifetime ban matters.”
Teddy’s story is a tragedy — but it’s also a reminder. A reminder of how deeply animals can suffer in silence, and how much power compassion and justice can hold when people refuse to look away.
Though Teddy is gone, his memory lives on in every rescue, every change in law, and every life saved because someone cared enough to speak up.