The SPCA says charges of animal cruelty have been laid against a Vancouver Island woman accused of beating a dog that had to be euthanized.
It says Kylie Nikkels of Courtenay, B.C., will face two charges at a court appearance scheduled for Oct. 20.
The SPCA's senior animal protection officer in B.C. says the seven-year-old teacup Chihuahua named Bianca belonged to Nikkels' grandmother.
Tiny Heary says the dog was beaten on April 9 when it was left in a home with Nikkels.
The SPCA says Bianca was later taken to a veterinary clinic suffering from severe hemorrhaging and a crushed skull and chest.
Heary says it's heartbreaking to think of the pain the little dog would have suffered.
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