SPCA seizes emaciated horses from Armstrong farm, recommends charges
ARMSTRONG – The B.C. SPCA has seized 16 horses from a farm in Armstrong and is now recommending animal cruelty charges against the owner.
Senior animal protection officer Kathy Woodward says the SPCA, along with the RCMP, executed a warrant at the farm Dec. 11 after receiving tips from the public. Of approximately 117 horses on the property, 16 emaciated mares and foals in the worst condition were seized. She says those animals ranked between 0.5 and 1.5 on the body condition score, which goes up to nine.
“We absolutely will be following up on the other animals,” Woodward says.
Charges against the owner will be recommended to Crown counsel under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The farm had already been under the SPCA’s watch for some time and the owner did not willingly surrender the horses.
“I believe this is another situation where at one time, there were the resources to care for this many animals, and again, it got out of hand,” Woodward says.
She says there was inadequate food, water and shelter being provided to the animals. The 16 seized horses are now in SPCA foster homes and being checked over by a veterinarian.
“They’ll require extensive and long-term care,” Woodward says.
Cash donations are appreciated and can be made online. Anyone able to contribute hay can contact Woodward at kwoodward@spca.bc.ca.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
—This story was edited at 4:45 p.m. Dec. 12 to add photos of the horses.
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18 responses
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A fellow plowing snow uncovered carcasses and a headless foal took pictures and reported to the RCMP.
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Whilethe obvious immediate need is for food for these horses, if the only thing that happens is the public bales out this loser, without the remainder of animals being seized & removed from his property, the herd will be pushing 200 within a few years. He has multiple stallions running loose with the mares so they are constantly impregnated with no idea of bloodlines. Also, this guy started with just a couple of horses a relatively short time ago, he was not even a horseman until he got his first horses within the past few years. He is not capable of training horses so these 117 animals are basically unknown/mixed breed, and unbroke. There is no demand for such animals, so even if the SPCA seizes them all, they would be stuck with insane costs of 100+ basically unadoptable large, expensive animals. Not a good scenario. The authorities need to charge him, remove all the animals, certainly, but he needs to have an ENFORCEABLE court order against ever owning an animal again or this will become a never-ending cycle of abuse.
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We need laws that allow the authorities to confiscate the land they own!These kind of people make me sick.
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Iam many miles away I live in n.s. but I pray that someone that has haycan donate somefor those starving animals…..god bless.
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Nancy, if you can get pictures, post them so they can be shared and have everyone call in then you get results.
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One would have to be a hoarder backyard breeder to have some 30 adult stallions on the property.This didn’t happen over night.
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There is more to it than just feeding hay.Salt and water must be made available.Dehydration is a big factor in emaciation.
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sad thing isthey will not get much ofa chargenbe able to havemore horsesagainto redothishorridcrime.
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You know as wrong as this is mainly to have so many horses! But as people we see these animals are suffering and the people are broke maybe for the first time in their lives can’t look after these animals to donate hay to them? Back when people ran into trouble the neighbors would rally together and help each other out? where are those days? this wouldn’t happen if we put our money where our mouths are hey?
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Nothing is obvious when your nothing more than a facebook entity.I see nothing unless I see it with my own eyes…Frankly even the original post is suspect until I get independent confirmation.MY point is talk is cheap… did the person try? did it go south ? was it abuse?if that “owner” did not try to find homes for those animals after they could not care properly then its not right…. so what do “we” do now?
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It is REALLY IMPORTANT to understand that the Body Condition Score system that supposedly goes from a 1 to a 9 is often misused by ACO’s and other “rescue” organizations. A 9 is NOT OPTIMUM, it is OBESE! OPTIMUM is in the 4-5-6 range! The developer of the BCS system, Don Henneke, on his dying bed, emphasized the misuse of his BCS system by ACOs. Google him on Chronicle of the Horse Forums to get his last statement. Not saying these horses didn’t need help – but it doesn’t mean the others were clinically deficient!
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It is too bad those of us in area O don’t have the same response from the Provincial SPCA, RCMP and oh yeah we have no bylaws here! It is distressing that we see this with horses here and German shepherds taking down the horses. You call them and then all we hear is dogs being beaten. One has a broken hind leg. It is sickening that no one bothers to call, but probably because they get the same response…nothing.
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where do suppose the SPCA or any other animal rescue group would home 117 horses, or any other animal, or come up with the funds to care for them…. Yes, they should all be removed, but resources only allow for them to take the worst cases, bring them back to health and rehome them.
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Patrick Lamontagnelike I said “in a real kind of way” posting things on facecrack means what? a minute of your time?If you “own” animals of any kind i’m willing to bet you can look within 100 square miles of your house and find abuse…. start local and go from there….
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And we THE people need to understand we elect the “crown”WE can change things WE just need to make it happen!
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Tammy Pretty don’t point a finger unless you can foster some of those animals.. I could possibly take/find a home for a few but not all of them..This kind of thing is just wrong but don’t sound off if your not going to help in a real kind of way.
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They work within the restraints put on them by the law and resources.Some have been helped which is better than none.Hopefully they will be able to resolve the issues with the remaining animals.Keep your fingers crossed.
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