Almost all animals seized during Slocan cruelty investigation have found new homes | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
Subscribe

Would you like to subscribe to our newsletter?

Current Conditions Cloudy  5.5°C

Kelowna News

Almost all animals seized during Slocan cruelty investigation have found new homes

Twenty-nine animals were seized from a farm in the Slocan Valley in late January 2016. The B.C. SPCA have managed to find homes for all except for one dog and three horses.
Image Credit: Global Okanagan (with permission)

KELOWNA – Almost all of the animals seized during a cruelty investigation in the Slocan Valley last month have found homes, according to the B.C. SPCA.

Regional cruelty investigator Kathy Woodward was part of the team who executed a warrant on the property of Joao Vieira, a prolific offender who has been convicted of cruelty to animals three times before and has violated a ban on owning animals four times.

“He just doesn’t learn,” Woodward says. “This guy clearly isn’t figuring it out on his own.”

While Vieira readies for his latest court appearance, the B.C. SPCA have been busy caring for nine sheep, seven goats, five large-breed dogs, four horses, two puppies, one cow and a rooster found in unsanitary, overcrowded conditions.

In all, 29 animals were seized from the property, all needing some kind of medical treatment. The bodies of several dead animals were also found on the property.

Woodward says as of this coming weekend almost all of the animals will have found homes.

“The goats and sheep are being placed this weekend into a permanent home and all of the dogs and puppies, except one, have been placed in either a foster-to-adopt situation or have been adopted out.”

They are still looking for homes for three horses, including two 10-year-old draft horses and six-year-old standard horse.

Woodward is hopeful that homes can be found for them but says the SPCA will continue looking after them as long as possible. One of the biggest challenges they are facing, however, is a lack of hay.

“People can’t find hay,” she says. “You can buy commercial feed but they need the hay. It is critical. It’s out there but you’re going to pay through the nose. If there is someone in the Kootenays with hay they’d like to donate that would be fantastic."

Anyone interested in adopting the horses or donating hay is asked to call their local B.C. SPCA branch.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infonews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

News from © iNFOnews, 2016
iNFOnews

  • Popular penticton News
View Site in: Desktop | Mobile