Island woman guilty of neglecting 20 cats
CBC News
Posted: Jan 15, 2013 6:21 PM AT
Last Updated: Jan 15, 2013 8:03 PM AT
Workers found two litters of underweight kittens in the bathroom. This photo was entered as evidence in court.An Island woman was sentenced to charges of animal neglect in a provincial court on Tuesday after the Humane Society found 20 Siamese cats inside an abandoned house without food or water.
Valerie Anne MacArthur, 28, of Ten Mile House pleaded guilty to two charges under the province's Companion Animal Protection Act. She was charged with wilfully causing an animal distress and not providing proper housing of an animal.
Humane Society officials called it one of the worst cases they've seen in years.
The allegations stem from a tip the Humane Society received in July 2012.
Investigators said when they entered the house it was littered with feces and had a powerful stench of urine.
They found two litters of underweight kittens in the bathroom. They said most of the cats had fleas, parasites and infections.
Six of the 20 cats had to be euthanized.
MacArthur's lawyer told the court Tuesday her client was raising the cats with the intention of eventually selling some of them.
Judge Nancy Orr sentenced MacArthur to two years probation. She is not allowed to own any pets during that time.
MacArthur was also fined $1,000 and ordered to pay $5,000 to the PEI Humane Society for the cost of caring for the animals that did survive the ordeal.
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