Puppy mill - 61 dogs, 2 cats
Campbellton, NB (CA)Incident Date: Wednesday, Oct 31, 2001
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Nick Levesque
A Campbellton man accused of running a puppy mill will face trial. Officials found more than 60 dogs crammed into cages in November 2001. They laid charges on January 30, 2002 against 36-year-old Nick Levesque, but animal lovers say current laws don't do enough.
Officials rescued 61 dogs and two cats. They were being bred in an unheated shed, caged in lobster traps, four or five at a time. Officials have charged a man with failing to provide adequate care to animals. But those who work with animals say the problem could have been avoided. "If our pet establishment licensing program was effect today, those abuses would be prevented before they arose," says Steven Turner of the SPCA.
There may also be changes at the federal level. The accused in this case faces a maximum sentence of six months in jail or a $2,000 fine. But Parliament is looking at a bill that would consider animals as victims and not property. That would drastically increase sentences for anyone convicted of abusing animals. References
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