Starving animals rescued from farm by Ontario SPCA. Others found dead - Sudbury, Ont. (January 5, 2004). Robert Laplante has been charged by the Ontario SPCA following the rescue of seven animals from a St. Charles area farm on December 11th, 2003 and the discovery of dead animals on the property.
Laplante has been charged on 16 counts under the Criminal Code of Canada relating to failure to provide suitable and adequate food, failure to provide suitable and adequate care and causing unnecessary suffering to animals.
Investigators from the Sudbury Branch of the Ontario SPCA rescued four horses, four pigs, three calves and one dog, found to be very thin, lacking in food, water and shelter from the elements.
Over a dozen dead animals, including four calves and one foal, were also found on the property in various stages of decomposition. Veterinary post-mortems were conducted on several of the dead animals revealing starvation as the cause of death. The four pigs had to be euthanized subsequently as they could not be allowed to enter the food chain due to having eaten from the carcasses.
The rescued animals were taken into the custody of the Ontario SPCA Sudbury Branch and are now being cared for by local farmers.
"Having been provided with proper food, water and access to shelter the animals are slowly recuperating and gaining strength after their ordeal," says Inspector Alison McAllister.
Laplante is to appear in the Sudbury Ontario Court of Justice on 28th January, 2004
For media enquiries, please call: Alison McAllister, Regional Inspector 705-566-9582 extension 25. References | OSPCA Press Release |
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