McBride, B.C.-  The owner of two horses found in the Renshaw recreation area north of McBride just before Christmas, has been formally charged.

 

 

Frank Mackay of Edmonton, has been charged with three counts of animal cruelty, following a BC SPCA investigation. The charges include two counts under the Criminal Code of Canada and one count under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

 

The dramatic Dec. 23^rd rescue of the three-year-old mare named Belle and the 14-year-old gelding named Sundance made national headlines after volunteers spent a week shoveling a one-kilometer trench through the snow to save the abandoned horses. The BC SPCA took the rescued horses into care in late December and determined that they would not be returned to Mackay.

 

“We placed the horses in temporary foster care where they received ongoing veterinary care until they were ready to be adopted,” said Shawn Eccles, the BC SPCA’s chief animal protection officer. He noted that the horses were malnourished and were suffering from rain scald and other medical issues as a result of exposure to the freezing temperatures. “Earlier this month they were placed in permanent homes in Prince George and Kamloops.”

 

Frank Mackay makes his first court appearance in McBride on June 12^th. If convicted of the charges, he faces a maximum fine of $10,000, up to five years in jail and a prohibition on owning animals.