'Blue' was the most emaciated of the dogs and was euthanized two weeks after the seizure.

Image Credit: B.C. SPCA

A Clearwater man who let his dogs get so thin they were forced to eat their own feces has failed in his attempt to have them returned.

Kurtis Elliot had more than a dozen dogs seized by the B.C. SPCA in early January after tips from the public about the dogs' "horrific" condition.

"The reckless disregard and horrific neglect shown by (Elliot) in this case is extraordinary and beyond any previous experiences," a B.C. Farm Industry Industry Review Board adjudicator said in a March 9 decision. "It is frankly unfathomable how anyone could starve a defenceless animal."

A vet who treated the dogs after they'd been seized said in 22 years of practice they had never seen a dog so emaciated.

The decision says the dogs suffered from starvation and worms, among other medical issues such as frostbite, hypothermia, anemia, untrimmed nails and low electrolyte values.

"They were so hungry that they immediately tried to eat their own feces on defecation, which is very unusual and abnormal dog behaviour," the decision reads.

Photographs released by the B.C. SPCA at the time of the seizure show a dog called Blue extremely emaciated. Two weeks later the dog was euthanized.

"All the dogs were confined to wire crates... the dogs did not have any food or water nor did they have proper ventilation or light," the decision reads.

iNFOnews.ca spoke to Elliot shortly after the seizure, and he couldn't explain why he'd let the dogs deteriorate so much.

"I was trying to work with everything that was on my plate and it was too much," he said in January.

According to the decision, he started breeding the dogs during the pandemic because they sold for "good money."

He'd previously said the Presa Canario could fetch $1,000 although now he's struggling to give them away.

A female had had three litters in less than a year, and Elliot ended up with a lot of dogs he couldn't sell.

READ MORE: Dog that regularly ingested fentanyl and meth seized by B.C. SPCA

"(Elliot) admitted feeling overwhelmed by the number of dogs and puppies in his care. None of the dogs were socialized or trained to walk on a lead," the decision reads.

The decision says Elliot was out of work and struggling financially and was having difficulty affording dog food. A local rescue was helping him but stopped.

Kurtis Elliot posted this photo to Facebook in August 2022.

Image Credit: FACEBOOK:Kurtis Elliot

On the day the B.C. SPCA showed up, it was 0 celsius and the dogs were found outside in a pen covered in ice. The ground had a build-up of urine and feces. A bucket contained frozen water.

"The dogs were all very underweight and had protruding ribs and hips. The two females, in particular, were extremely thin and emaciated and had protruding spines, necks, ribs, and hip bones.

Dogs were found to be eating their bedding and when questioned about this Elliot replied, "Well, all the dogs do that and I can’t stop them."

The decision says he had the top of a finger amputated because he was while trying to separate dogs that were fighting.

"He admitted that it was a challenge to separate the dogs because they would often fight," the decision says.

While Elliot had 13 dogs removed from his property he applied to have four returned.

He stated – as he did to iNFOnews.ca – that he was very remorseful.

The Review Board wasn't convinced.

"A remorseful and insightful person would not accuse the B.C. SPCA of falsifying documents, suggest that a dog was euthanized because of the veterinary treatment she received while in care, or suggest the dogs became hypothermic and obtained frostbite from the two-hour drive in the B.C. SPCA truck from the property to the clinics," the Board ruled.

READ MORE: Kootenay woman who left dead dog in yard loses other pets

Ultimately, the Board refused to give Elliot any of his dogs back. He is also on the hook for $7,608 to cover the B.C. SPCA's costs.

Kurtis Elliot.

Image Credit: Facebook:Kurtis Elliot

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