A Cawston woman has to pay a $200 fine and is prohibited from owning any more animals after her horse had to be euthanized in 2022.
Charlotte Joan Patterson pleaded guilty on Feb. 12 to one count of causing or permitting an animal to be in distress contrary to section 24(1) Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act.
The charge arose after BC SPCA animal protection officers spotted the horse while in Cawston on an unrelated investigation.
The 27-year-old horse was standing in an open field and appeared to be in very poor condition, severely lame and unable to move properly due to dramatically overgrown hooves.
A closer assessment of the horse found it severely underweight, with no proper dental care and concerns of hypothermia. Due to its ill health, the horse met the definition of being in critical distress.
The animal protection officers informed Patterson that the horse required immediate veterinary treatment or humane euthanasia and with her permission, the horse was euthanized on-site that day.
In addition to the $200 fine, Patterson has been banned from owning any animal except for her two existing cats for the next five years.
The unrelated investigation likely involved a Cawston rancher whose herd of cattle were seized in January of 2023 following multiple visits by the BC SPCA.
The results of that investigation are currently unknown.
