Couple locked puppy in apartment bathroom while they went on two-week vacation

A couple from London, Ontario, Canada, have pleaded guilty to four counts of animal cruelty after they left their puppy locked in a bathroom while they went on a two-week vacation. The Chihuahua mix was found after a superintendent heard cries coming from the couple's apartment.

The London Humane Society responded to the superintendent's complaints by obtaining a search warrant to enter the home on Jan. 6, 2015. The puppy was found with an empty water dish and faecal matter all over its body, said Judy Foster, executive director of the London Humane Society. Foster estimates the puppy had been there for about three or four days before it was rescued.



"It's staggering that this puppy was left alone," Foster said. "It's absolutely staggering. It was a nine-week-old puppy." Shelley Anderson and her family adopted the dog, newly-named Peanut, after she was found in January. Anderson said it was clear the puppy had been through a lot. "She's not very trusting," she said. "So we're hoping in time it'll come around."

Gabrielle Penney, 20, and Kyle O’Neill, 26, pleaded guilty to causing and permitting distress and failing to provide necessary care and appropriate sanitary conditions. The two were given six-months' probation and fined $400. They are also prohibited from owning or caring for an animal for 10 years. Anderson said her heart broke after seeing the condition the puppy was left in. "Now we know why she follows us around so much," she said. "She doesn't want to lose her mom and dad again."

With news video.