A Vancouver Island woman has been charged after allegedly beating a seven-year-old teacup Chihuahua so badly it had to be euthanized. Kylie Nikkels of Courtenay faces two counts of animal cruelty under the Criminal Code. The SPCA says the dog was in "critical distress" when it was brought into a veterinary clinic April 9, suffering from severe hemorrhaging and a crushed skull and chest. "It is so heartbreaking to think of the pain this little dog would have suffered," said Tina Heary, senior animal protection officer with the B.C. Investigators say the dog, named Bianca, belonged to Nikkels' grandmother.

Source: CBC News October 13, 2016 21:50 UTC