Woman accused of killing dog denied bail
Posted January 9, 2013 3:22 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The woman accused of killing her dog inside a Toronto shelter was denied bail on Wednesday, in part, her lawyer said, because she had prior animal cruelty convictions.
Rita Mueller, 50, is charged with killing an animal, causing unnecessary pain to an animal and disobeying a court order.
Her lawyer Alan Goodman said Wednesday Mueller was also detained because of a lack of supervision.
Mueller allegedly brought a Shar-Pei, a large breed of dog, to Toronto Animal Services at 1300 Sheppard Ave. W. on Aug. 24, 2012.
Det.-Const. Tamara Lawrynowycz said the woman was supposed to be handing over the dog to a new owner and was given a leash and muzzle to get the pet ready.
But police allege she instead hung the dog with the leash while inside the animal shelter’s quarantine room.
She surrendered to police on Jan. 4.
Mueller, who ran Scooby’s Dog House in Bolton, is awaiting sentencing on separate animal cruelty charges under the OSCPA Act.
The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) confirmed that the same woman had 19 dogs removed from her property in Caledon and was forced to surrender 10 more dogs in 2011.
She was convicted in September 2012 of multiple charges under the OSCPA Act and will be sentenced in February. She could be fined, prohibited from owning or living with an animal, or jailed.
