Charges laid in the death of dog that was dragged, left dead in an Edmonton park

A man and a woman are both facing several charges related to the death of a dog whose body was dragged to a park in southeast Edmonton and left there on Christmas Day.

Patrol officers were called on Dec. 26 to investigate the discovery of the body of a three-year-old male German Shepherd/Pitbull mix at Kittlitz Park located around 28A Street and 36A Avenue.

Edmonton Police Service wouldn't say what caused the death of the dog, but an investigator said his condition was "very, very suspicious" and his paws were tied up.

Police released a photo of the dog on Jan. 11 along with a picture of a suspect dragging him in an effort to generate tips from the public.

Officers were then called to a residence in the Meadowbrook area, not far from Kittlitz Park, on Feb. 7 for another animal abuse call involving a four-month-old female German Shepard mix.

Steven Kuzyk, 45, and Sharon Vert, 43, have been charged in both cases.

They are accused of causing death to an animal, failing to provide adequate care to an animal and willfully causing pain and suffering to an animal.

“These types of investigations are difficult, as they involve senseless violence against vulnerable animals who don’t have a voice,” Sgt. Olena Fedorovich said of the case in January.

“Violence against animals can be a precursor to violent offenses against people, so it is important that we work to identify those involved in these incidents.”

'MY HEART SANK'

The dog who was killed was named Briggs.

He was rescued by the Saving Grace Animal Society in central Alberta and adopted out in 2020.

His owners then tried to return him last fall, but the rescue shelter was full.

"When I heard about what had happened, honestly, my heart sank. I felt sick to my stomach. When I think about it, still, I do," said co-executive director Amanda McClughan.

"Sometimes, when our shelter is so full, we don't have an open run instantly, so we do need some time to make some space to bring that animal back. And in this instance, his adoptive family just wasn't able to wait."

Saving Grace officials believe Briggs was then adopted again from an ad on Facebook Marketplace.

McClughan was glad to hear that charges have been laid and thanked Edmonton police for taking Briggs' death seriously.

"It's really important to be fighting for the animals that don't have a voice. And it's so true, it's what we wake up and try to do every single day," she said.

Animal rescues in Alberta are operating "at max capacity" right now, she added, because of inflation squeezing household budgets and people getting pets during the pandemic that they can no longer care for.

McClughan encouraged the public to get their pets spayed and neutered as well as volunteer at and donate to rescues like hers.

 Anyone with any information about animal cruelty is asked to report it to EPS at 780-423-4567 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).