Nunavut woman charged over Spike the husky’s death

Nunavut police have charged a woman in relation to the case of Spike, a husky puppy who died of his injuries at Yellowknife’s Great Slave Animal Hospital.

Spike was brought by air from the Nunavut hamlet of Taloyoak to Yellowknife in early May, where he was taken in by the NWT SPCA.

Workers at the shelter described the four-month-old puppy as having suffered ‘brutal’ abuse, leading to head trauma, multiple pelvic fractures, and severe bruising.

In a news release published on Thursday, Taloyoak RCMP confirmed Karen Nanook, a resident of the community, had been charged with one count of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

She is scheduled to appear in court in Taloyoak on July 16, 2018.

“On May 1, 2018, Taloyoak RCMP started an investigation regarding allegations of cruelty to an animal,” read the news release.

“Through the investigation, and with the help of the SPCA, statements and evidence were received that resulted in a charge being laid.”

Spike’s death shocked many Yellowknife residents, who had been following his attempted recovery through photos and updates shared by the NWT SPCA online.

Last month, SPCA staff said the police investigation into Spike’s abuse was being frustrated as “no one would talk” about what had happened to the puppy.