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Rabbit Advocacy Animal Matters
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Dozens of exotic animals, many of them dead, seized from northwest basement suite April 25, 2014 Calgary Herald More than 50 exotic animals were seized by Calgary Humane Society peace officers from a northwest Calgary home late Thursday. About 20 of the animals were already dead and most of the live ones were severely malnourished and dehydrated, said Brad Nichols, manager of animal cruelty investigations. Officers were called earlier this week by a passerby who had discovered seven rabbits in a back alley in Bowness. As the rabbits were taken to a local veterinary clinic to be assessed, officers went to investigate whether the animals were linked to a particular home in the area and were led to a basement suite. “Upon arrival, we found many, many exotic animals in need of care,” Nichols said, adding some were in enclosures and others were found roaming free. Officers discovered snakes, reptiles, mice, birds, fish, and a turtle, he said, adding the rabbits in the alley are also believed to be connected to the case. “There was in the range of 20 dead animals. They did appear to be fairly recently deceased,” he said. “(The live ones) were in varying degrees of neglect. Many are malnourished, emaciated, underweight, dehydrated and took to water very quickly.” It took officers four hours — from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. — to remove all the animals from the home and to the humane society, where the surviving animals are under emergency veterinary care. Nichols said it’s believed the animals were obtained free through online classified ad websites like Kijiji. This case comes on the heels of another case where animals were obtained free online, and subsequently neglected. Ashley Onen, 37, of Calgary, pleaded guilty to charges of causing or permitting an animal to be in distress after acquiring two puppies through a website free of charge, and nearly starving them before reselling them for a profit. She was handed a record fine of $7,000 and slapped with a 10-year ban from owning any animals other than the four healthy dogs she already has in her possession. Nichols said the motivation for keeping the many exotic animals in the most recent investigation — whether it was for profit or hoarding — has not yet been determined. Charges are pending against one individual. These investigations highlight the importance for people to be diligent if they are buying or selling animals online, Nichols said. “If you’re buying off the Internet, be wary of red flags like meeting someone in a parking lot and buying a puppy out of the back of a van,” he said. People who are finding a new home for their pets should assign a financial value so the new owners will value and properly care for the animals, he said. Animals can also be surrendered to the Calgary Humane Society. Read more: September 19, 2014 Dozens of rabbits and hamsters seized from home |