Paul Korneluk is charged under both the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Criminal Code of Canada for allowing Buckley, a lhasa apso/shih tzu mix, to endure painful matting all over his body.

Responding to a complaint, special provincial constable Tina Heary attended Korneluk's home to find Buckley covered from head to toe in dense matting. The small dog's mobility was so extremely compromised by lack of grooming that he limped, was unable to balance and frequently fell forward onto his face.

Buckley's fur was so matted that his ears were knotted together at the top of his head. His fur was also covered in feces and his overgrown nails extended more than two inches from his toes. Buckley's limbs were red and raw.

Photo caption: Buckley (above) before shaving and nail trimming.

"The pictures truly tell the story," said Heary, referring to photos from the case showing a filthy mass of rolls draped over Buckley's body like a heavy blanket.

A veterinarian shaved 2.3 kilograms (five pounds) of fur from Buckley's body, uncovering numerous skin sores and infections.

"Buckley weighed 7.9 kilograms (17.5 pounds) before he was shaved, and 5.6 kilograms (12.5 pounds) after he was shaved," said Heary. "He was carrying 2.3 kilograms (five pounds) of fur."

Moriarty says Buckley is one of the most severe examples of poor grooming the BC SPCA has ever encountered. But there have been worse cases — the society typically encounters at least one dog a year who has lost a limb as a result of severe matting.

"What happens is the fur gets so tangled that it cuts off circulation. The flesh is slowly pinched away and rots off."

Severe matting decreases blood circulation to the skin, causes tremendous and constant pain and decreases mobility.

Korneluk makes his first appearance in Nanaimo court June 16.

For more information and photos, read our official press release. Please note, images are graphic and distrurbing.

May 28. Update: /A\ Channel News Jonathan Bartlett reports and speaks with Special Provincial Constable Tina Heary and Buckley's owner Paul Korneluk.

You can help the BC SPCA rescue and protect animals like Buckely and bring their abusers to justice, by supporting the Heroes Fund for Animal Protection. Please donate today.

The BC SPCA is a non-profit organization funded primarily by public donations. Our mission is to prevent cruelty and to promote the welfare of animals through a wide range of services, including cruelty investigations, emergency rescue and treatment, sheltering and adoption of homeless and abused animals, humane education, advocacy, farm animal welfare, spay/neuter programs, and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.