SPCA Investigating Renshaw Horses

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C.-The senior protection officer of the SPCA stationed in Kamloops, says his agency has begun an active investigation into the abandonment of two horses in back country near McBride.  (see previous story) The animals were left to fend for themselves in conditions of over seven feet of snow.

Kent Kokaska says he is not at liberty to say at what point the investigation is. " We have a person of interest, we are now compiling a report of all of the elements involved and from there it will be turned over to the Crown Counsel for their consideration as to charges."

The SPCA says Kokaska was advised of the plight of the animals last Thursday, "On Friday, we were able to take a veterinarian from Prince George into the scene where the horses are. We have determined that they were in a stage 2 out of 9 condition."

The veterinarian recommended a special diet for the animals to try and regain their strength and that is the program they are on now. "They were not fit to be transported out of the area by helicopter  because of their condition" says Kokaska.

The snowmobilers and a bunch of local people from McBride have been hand shovelling a trail 1 Kilometre in length to reach a hard packed trail "We think that we can get them out of there in a week, a few days to reach the main trail and then gradually walk them out to safety."

"When we first arrived on the scene" says Kokaska "we had to determine whether we would be better off to euthanize these two animals but we then determined  that we could save them after the snowmobile club said they would hand dig them a trail out."

Kokaska and numerous other SPCA officials from across the province are lauding the volunteers who are hand digging a trench for the animals over rugged terrain as the real heroes "Some of these people are struggling they don’t have a job and don’t have the resources to run up there every day to work on the shovel and a fund has been set up at the Spin Drift and Husky Station in town to try and raise money for the fuel that they need to get to the area which is more than 25 kilometres by snowmobile before they begin to shovel."

Allison Schreiber of Ravensnook Guest House (her husband and family have been helping with the rescue) says there were more people volunteering to dig today.  It was hoped that the horses could be led down a portion of the trail to a new safe spot in case a blizzard came up filling in the trench that has been dug.

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