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Case Details
Case Snapshot
Case ID: 12991
Classification: Neglect / Abandonment
Animal: dog (non pit-bull)
More cases in AB
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CONVICTED: Was justice served?

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Case #12991 Rating: 1.1 out of 5



Five puppies abandoned in portable toilet
Crowsnest Pass, AB (CA)

Incident Date: Friday, Jan 4, 2008

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted

Defendants/Suspects:
» Samantha Rieberger - Alleged
» Frederick Hoath

Case Updates: 4 update(s) available

Police say they are "pleased" that charges have been laid in a disturbing case of animal cruelty that saw five puppies dumped down a roadside outhouse and left to die in southwestern Alberta.

Samantha Rieberger, 42, of Crowsnest Pass and 57-year-old Frederick Hoath of Fernie, B.C., have been charged with five counts of cruelty to animals under both the Criminal Code and Alberta's Animal Protection Act.

On Jan. 4, Crowsnest Pass RCMP responded to a frantic 911 call from a motorist who heard whimpering coming from an outdoor toilet alongside Highway 3, near the Alberta-British Columbia boundary.

They found five black Lab-cross puppies - about eight-weeks-old - in the feces-filled pit of the outhouse.

The two-hour rescue involved several agencies and contractors who worked to rescue the pups.

They had to chisel the toilet away from its concrete base to access the outhouse's holding tank to get the animals.

All of the puppies were given a clean bill of health and all have been adopted.

Alberta Transportation has sent the $800 bill for the destroyed toilet to the local Fish and Wildlife office. The RCMP has offered to pay the bill on their behalf.

"A lot of information was received from the public, and a lot of other agencies contributed to the information we were able to use," said Sgt. Scott Howard.

"As soon as we talked to the owner, we knew something wasn't right. As a result of some compelling information that we received, the grounds to pursue charges were provided to us."

The puppies' mother, along with several cats were taken from Rieberger's home by the SPCA.

Rieberger and Hoath are to appear in court on Feb. 5 in Pincher Creek.


Case Updates

A Fernie man will no face jail time for a disturbing animal abuse case.

Frederick Hoath, 57, is sentenced to a fine of one thousand dollars for each of five counts of animal cruelty. He also received two years probation and 100 hours of community service. Hoath must pay close to 750 dollars for the cost of the rescue. He is allowed to keep his own dog but is banned from owning any new pets for a period of two years.

Five puppies were dumped in a roadside outhouse and left to die in the Crowsnest Pass in January 2008.

The animals were discovered, rescued, and eventually tracked to litter of puppies owned by a Crowsnest Pass woman.

Samantha Rieberger, 42, is also charged with animal cruelty. She will stand trial in February.

In passing down his sentence, the Pincher Creek judge called Hoath a good person who did a cruel thing. At his trial, witnesses testified that Hoath was a helpful and caring neighbour who organized a community toy drive.

Animals rights groups say they are disappointed with the sentence.

The maximum sentence on cruelty to animal charges is a fine up to five thousand dollars, six months in jail, or both.
Source: CTVCA - Jan 28, 2009
Update posted on Feb 6, 2009 - 12:16PM 
A man has been convicted of animal cruelty for dumping five puppies down an outhouse toilet last January and leaving them to die.

The Crown is seeking jail time for Frederick Hoath, 57, of Fernie, B.C., who was found guilty in provincial court in Pincher Creek, Alta. He is to be sentenced Jan. 27. A co-accused in the case, Samantha Rieberger, has pleaded not guilty and is to stand trial Feb. 9.

RCMP received a 911 call from a motorist who had stopped to use the outhouse in the Crowsnest Pass on the Alberta-B.C. boundary and heard whining coming from inside.

Five Lab-cross puppies about eight weeks old had been tossed into the outhouse pit and were eventually rescued after the structure was dismantled.
Source: Canadian Press - Sept 29, 2008
Update posted on Sep 29, 2008 - 1:52PM 
A man accused of throwing five puppies down an outhouse pit has pleaded not guilty. A lawyer entered the plea in Provincial Court in Pincher Creek yesterday on behalf of Frederick Hoath, 57, of Fernie, B.C. He faces 10 charges under the federal Criminal Code and the Alberta Animal Protection Act.

The case was put over until Aug. 25 when he is to stand trial. The puppies were discovered in January and rescued.
Source: Globe and Mail - April 2, 2008
Update posted on Apr 2, 2008 - 2:11PM 
Five puppies rescued after being dumped down the hole of an outhouse and left for dead in the Crowsnest Pass are thriving with the people who adopted them.

The black Labrador puppies, now about 10 weeks old, were discovered by a motorist who heard whimpering after stopping to use a Highway 3 washroom Jan. 4.

Three of the dogs -- Lacey, Doodle and Duke -- were taken in by RCMP detachment staff and have captured the hearts of the community.

"They're so adorable, they're doing really well with potty training," said Rita Filipuzzi, a Crowsnest Pass RCMP support staff secretary who adopted one of the pups. "It's a little like having a kid again."

Frederick Hoath, 57, of Fernie, B.C., appeared in court Tuesday to face charges of animal cruelty. Samantha Rieberger, 42, of Crowsnest Pass, is also charged but couldn't attend Tuesday.

Both were ordered to appear to make a plea Feb. 19.

The puppy rescue operation took several hours as officers pulled four of the dogs out with animal-control poles.

However, they had to call the local contractor to jackhammer the toilet off its concrete base to rescue the last one, which was farther down the hole.

The puppies, which were little more than a month old, likely wouldn't have survived the night, rescuers said.

All five dogs were saved and were quickly adopted by police officers and local residents.

Rieberger owned the dog that gave birth to the puppies, according to Crowsnest Pass Mounties.

The mother dog and two cats from the household were relinquished by Rieberger and have been adopted.

Rieberger and Hoath are charged with five counts of cruelty to animals under the Criminal Code, as well as five counts of cruelty to animals under the Animal Protection Act.
Source: Canada.Com - Feb 6, 2008
Update posted on Feb 7, 2008 - 12:46AM 

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