The owner of a herd of cattle seized by the B.C. SPCA from a Quesnel area ranch is seeking to have the animals returned, cruelty investigations manager Shawn Eccles said Tuesday.
The owners had two weeks from the day of the seizure on March 24 to send a notice of appeal to BCSPCA and did so on the 14th day, Eccles said. Technically, the BC SPCA has 28 days to make a decision but Eccles said that timeline can be extended to allow the owner to make a case.
"Right now, we're still at that point where we've gathered submissions from the owner, including from his vet or other people that may be able to say in his support, and we'll review them," Eccles said.
In all, 80 cows and 18 calves were taken from the operation.
To get them back, Eccles said the owner must explain how the animals ended up in a condition that prompted the seizure and what steps will be taken to make sure the same thing won't happen again.
"In some cases it's pretty straight forward," Eccles said. "If something has happened that is easily understandable, we'll return the animals with an agreement to the owner."
If the BC SPCA denies the request, Eccles said the owner will have another four days to file an appeal with the B.C. Farm Industry Review Board.
"If they don't get it done within four days, we can dispose of the animals - sell them, adopt them out, do whatever we need to," Eccles said.
