Tiger strikes a nerve in the community

(Update) A story we ran earlier tonight about a dog being chained up and left out in the cold at a Hamilton business has generated enormous reaction. Our newsroom and Facebook page have been flooded with emails and comments about the conditions Tiger has been exposed to in this dangerously cold weather.

Mary-Ellen writes: “We are very concerned about the dog Tiger. Not just for being left out in the bitter cold, but he is being neglected.”

Gail said: “It’s disgusting. Would the woman that spoke on camera on behalf of the Humane Society say the same thing about a human being outside in this weather?”

and Jackie wrote: “What the hell is wrong with people. I think someone should go let him loose.”

And Justine writes: “It absolutely sickens me that nobody has done anything to help that dog.”

So we tracked down the owner of the business and the owner of the dog tonight to hear what they had to say.

Tiger is a Portuguese Fila and until sometime Tuesday evening he’d been living outside at this Hamilton Concrete forming business on Glover Road. The Owner, Tony Silva, says he evicted the dog’s owner and he says he passed on the owners name, Milton, and phone number to the SPCA. He also says when he checked his lot before leaving this evening the dog wasn’t chained up outside anymore: “I checked, the dog is gone. I’m getting threatening calls and emails. Humane Society was after him.”

Silva also passed on Milton’s contact information to me, so I called him to get his side of the story: “I raised that dog, guard dog needs to be outside.”

When I asked Milton if he was aware of SPCA regulations about how an outdoor animal must be cared for and which Tiger was clearly lacking while we were there today. He said he didn’t know about the rules. Then I asked him how he would respond to the numerous complaints and concerns being levelled at him for how Tiger appears to be being treated: “I wonder how you respond to that. Next day, I’m there and put more water.”

When we were there earlier today, his water had frozen and Jill Forsythe told us she would regularly bring him warm water which Tiger would gulp down. Forsythe says she can’t imagine keeping a dog outside in this kind of weather: “My lips are frozen and we’ve only been out here a few minutes so I can imagine 24 hours 7 days a week of this is just not right.”

We also asked the SPCA about Tiger’s treatment. Since the organization regularly reminds pet owners to bring animals inside in this weather, the answer from Vivian LaFlamme surprised us: “Those animals will climatize to the weather and will build up an undercoat beneath their outer exterior that protects them from the wind and cold temperatures.”

Neither Tony Silva nor Tiger’s owner Milton said they knew where the dog was when I spoke to them Tuesday evening. We’ll keep following this story and see what more we can find out.