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Charges recommended after B.C. SPCA seizes 59 dogs from puppy mill

The B.C. SPCA is recommending charges against a Quesnel, B.C., woman after the society says it found nearly 60 dogs and over a dozen birds living in squalid conditions on her property. 

Some puppies had their tails wrapped up with rubber bands, a procedure banned in B.C. since 2016

CBC News ·
Women wearing protective gear hold puppies in an animal centre.
B.C. SPCA staff hold a number of puppies that were seized from a Quesnel, B.C., home earlier this week. (B.C. SPCA)

The B.C. SPCA is recommending charges against a Quesnel, B.C., woman after the society says it found nearly 60 dogs and over a dozen birds living in squalid conditions on her property. 

Officers executed a warrant at a Quesnel home on Wednesday, according to the society, and found 59 dogs among garbage, urine and feces. They included 12 chihuahuas, 43 cane corsos and four French bulldogs — many of which were puppies.

Some of the younger ones had their tails wrapped up with rubber bands in an effort to dock them, a procedure that has been banned in B.C. since 2016. The SPCA says the puppies were in severe pain with spinal cord and nerve infections, and will need to have their tails removed.

The society says the dogs had chewed through drywall around a power socket in the house, and were extremely fearful of the officers who rescued them.

A very thin dog sits in an enclosure with a litter of puppies in front of it.
The B.C. SPCA says the dogs were found in 'devastating' conditions and were thin and emaciated. (B.C. SPCA)

"The moms had litters, and some of the moms were emaciated," said Eileen Drever, senior officer with the society.

"It was just ever so sad, and the the ammonia count was so high that it burned the officers' noses, it was so intense."

Two puppies sit on a towel with a person's hands on one of them.
The SPCA says many of the rescued dogs were puppies, 18 of which were born within the last month. (B.C. SPCA)

Drever said the society is recommending animal cruelty charges to Crown counsel, with the maximum penalty under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act being a $75,000 fine, two years in prison and a lifetime prohibition from owning animals.

She said criminal charges may also be under consideration, though the officer acknowledged she had never seen the maximum penalty handed out in her 44-year career.

A series of small puppies play in an enclosure.
The SPCA says the dogs were being irresponsibly bred for profit, and is now recommending animal cruelty charges. (B.C. SPCA)

"It's a woman who bred chihuahuas, cane corsos, all for profit," she said. "And the conditions were so deplorable, we couldn't leave the animals there."

The SPCA also seized 14 birds from the breeder, including parrots and lovebirds. The society says a macaw and African grey parrot were missing a large amount of feathers "indicating either illness or emotional stress."

Drever said the dogs have to be taken to animal centres all over the province to be treated, and won't be up for adoption just yet as they require significant treatment.

A large macaw with patchy feathers.
The SPCA says over a dozen birds were also seized, and a few of them had missing feathers that indicated illness or distress. (B.C. SPCA)

With files from Renée Lukacs

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