Williams Lake man charged with neglecting dozens of dogs

WILLIAMS LAKE – A man is facing two counts of animal cruelty after allegedly neglecting dozens of dogs and puppies.

The B.C. SPCA says in a news release that Terry Baker has been charged after 46 "neglected" dogs and puppies were seized from his rural property north of Williams Lake.

The dogs were seized this past February and included American Eskimo, border collie, husky and Samoyed breeds.

Chief prevention and enforcement officer for the B.C. SPCA, Marcie Moriarty, says the dogs were highly unsocialized and fearful.

“The dogs were seized because of lack of shelter, poor sanitation and inadequate veterinary care but the biggest issue once they were in our care was that they were terrified of human contact," Moriarty says in the release.

Veterinary and behavioural staff with the SPCA worked around the clock with the dogs to help them cope with every day sights and sounds.

“One of the complications was that several of the dogs were pregnant and gave birth shortly after coming into SPCA care, but were too frightened to let staff near them or their puppies," Moriarty says. "Thankfully we have some extremely knowledgeable and dedicated staff members who were able to provide the care and treatment they needed despite the challenges.”

Most of the 46 dogs have been adopted, and Moriarty points out that dealing with such serious psychological distress in dogs is a complex, long-term process.

“This was a very intensive undertaking involving hundreds of staff and volunteer hours,” she says. “The fact that the majority of the dogs have responded to the behaviour modification to the point that we were able to adopt them into new homes is quite incredible, given the condition they were in when they were seized.”

If convicted, Baker faces a maximum fine of $10,000, up to five years in jail and up to a lifetime ban on owning animals, according to the SPCA.

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