82 animals seized from Alberta rural property during police investigation
Southern Alberta RCMP have charged a 44-year-old man in connection with an investigation that saw 82 animals in distress seized from a home in Mountain View County, north of Calgary.
The investigation began on April 22, when Mounties arrested a man leaving a rural property with a truck hauling a trailer loaded with a skid steer. All of the vehicles turned out to be stolen, police said, so they obtained a search warrant for the home.
Officers arrested a resident and located the following during the search:
- Six stolen trucks;
- Four utility trailers;
- A Polaris ATV;
- A Raptor Keystone RV;
- Two flat deck trailers;
- Two shotguns;
- A bolt-action rifle;
- Two .22-calibre rifles;
- Thousands of rounds of ammunition;
- Six industrial heaters; and
- A red Norco Sight VLT 12-speed mountain bike with the serial number removed.
In addition with the stolen property, police also discovered numerous animals in distress.
Fifty-six dogs of various breeds were seized from the property, as well as 10 sheep, nine llamas, four chickens and three geese.
The investigation into the welfare of the animals is being conducted by the Alberta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
- Sign up for breaking news alerts from CTV News, right at your fingertips
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
Michael McGill, of Mountain View County, is charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, failure to comply with a release order and unauthorized possession of a firearm.
No charges have been laid against the accused in relation to the animals as the SPCA's investigation is still ongoing.
However, the organization says the additional seizures have added to "an extensive list" of animals in the SPCA's care.
Officials say since March, 250 animals have been seized by or surrendered to the agency, with the most coming from four investigations.
"Our team, and the animal welfare community as a whole, is facing unprecedented pressure this spring," said Alberta SPCA executive director Leanne Niblock in a news release.
"Rising costs of living, lingering impacts of the pandemic, and climate change leading to drought and wildfire just exacerbate the already desperate situation. These large rescues add enormously to the pressure, and to be blunt, to our expenses."
If anyone is looking to help the SPCA care for seized animals, they can do so by fostering or donating funds.
Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson for the SPCA told CTV News that the dogs won't be available until they're given medical clearance.
“We’re getting a lot of calls from people who want to foster or adopt these dogs (as we expected)," he said. "If it’s possible to mention in the story that the animals are being medically evaluated and are not available for adoption at this time, we’d appreciate it.”
Additional details can be found on the SPCA's website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.