Over 40 dogs found in Fort Qu'Appelle home, court documents show
Two men from the Fort Qu'Appelle area were found guilty of causing distress to animals in a dog hoarding case.
According to court documents, Morgan Desjarlais and Gary Gillingwater had a total of 48 dogs in their home.
Judge Kevin A. Lang passed down the decision in Fort Qu’Appelle on Jan. 30.
Following complaints and worries about the wellbeing of the animals in the two men’s care, Animal Protection Officers visited the home three times from Oct. 21 to Dec. 15 of 2021.
During the visits, officers described the home as having “unsanitary living conditions” with urine and feces covering the floors and some portions of the walls.
The home was also described as very cluttered with garbage piled in all of the rooms and a strong smell of ammonia filling the air.
Food and water were available to the animals, officers noted during each visit. However, many of the dogs were found to be “unkempt with fecal balls attached to them, long nails and matted coats.”
During the second visit by authorities, the bodies of two dogs were seized and another one was euthanized due to ‘medical distress reasons,’ court documents showed.
“Clearly, little to no effort was put into cleaning the Residence as Animal Protection Officers felt that the overall condition of the Residence was either no better or was even worse as time passed,” the decision read.
“Clearly, many of the dogs needed immediate medical attention – one dog needed to be euthanized the same day due to its poor condition. The condition of all the dogs was and continued to be in jeopardy throughout this timeframe given the unsanitary conditions of the Residence.”
During the third visit by authorities, both Desjarlais and Gillingwater surrendered 13 dogs while another 32 dogs were seized by officers.
Both Desjarlais and Gillingwater were found guilty under the Animal Protection Act 2018.
If a person is convicted under the act, the possible penalties include a fine of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment for up to two years.
A prohibition or restriction on owning animals for a specific period may also be included.
Sentencing for both of the accused is set to begin on Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. at Saskatchewan Provincial Court in Fort Qu’Appelle.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.