Reading Snopes I see they contradict themselves in their statement
...and this dog was not replaced by another after it had died
...it was never made clear whether the dog actually died...
Actually, Snopes doesn't contradict itself.
The quotes are from the statement by the WSPCA.
The first quote is directly from the WSPCA. The second was inreferene to the media coverage by the Cost Rican press.
Interesting "nickname" for the "artist"; Habakkuk.