A 53-year-old Alberta woman has been charged after allegedly attempting to ship a cat and puppies through the mail last month.
According to Vulcan County Enforcement Services (VCES), Jill Marshall visited a Canada Post office in the village of Milo, about 100 kilometres southeast of Calgary, on two separate occasions.
VCES said in a statement a post office employee called authorities on May 7 after discovering a puppy and kitten crammed in a small cardboard box. The box was labelled with a destination address, complete with appropriate postage, while the animals themselves had stamps attached to their heads.
Marshall allegedly attempted to mail a second puppy on May 17, after a similar box was located at the post office with a dog inside.
VCES launched an investigation and determined the shipping addresses on the parcels were fake.
Marshall has been charged with causing animals to be in distress under the Animal Protection Act. According to Peace Officer Sgt. Rob Pintkowski, enforcement officers have had previous dealings with Marshall.
The accused is scheduled to appear in Lethbridge Provincial Court on July 30, 2019.
Canada Post says on its website that it prohibits the shipment of live animals unless an agreement has been arranged. Live animals cannot be mailed unless the mailer has entered a related Agreement with Canada Post prior to mailing. Bees, day-old chicks and hatching eggs, parasites, leeches and some other small cold blooded animals can be mailed under certain conditions.
