The circumstances surrounding the death of Captain, a German Shepherd police dog candidate who disqualified from the force for being “too friendly,” are still shrouded in mystery. He was neglected, beaten, left for dead in a Vancouver dumpster, and he died the next day in a local shelter.
But his death won’t be in vain: on July 19, radio talk show hosts Nat and Drew set up an Indiegogo fundraising campaign for netizens to give to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). With $10,000, they said, they could sponsor an SPCA prosecution to bring Captain’s killer to justice.
People gave, and gave, and gave. By Friday morning, they’d raised over $70,000, all of which goes to the SPCA. The amount is still rising, and the fundraiser won’t conclude until Aug 18.
“This brutal, horrific beating cannot be ignored, no dog deserves what he suffered,” commented user Jean, who gave $50.
All the money donated here will go to the BC SPCA’s animal cruelty division which helps prosecute animal abusers, provides emergency care, and helps nurse abused animals back to health.
Vancouver Police do have a lead on Captain’s killer. Brian Whitlock, his owner, was arrested Wednesday on unrelated charges and released the next day. While in custody, police questioned Whitlock about Captain’s death.
It will fall to the SPCA to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Captain was killed by a human being. But the SPCA’s manager of cruelty investigations, Marcie Moriarty, told the Vancouver Sun that was likely.
“We absolutely will be recommending charges,” Moriarty said.
Photo via Indiegogo
