SPCA does not anticipate charges against donkey’s owner

EDMONTON – The miniature donkey Eeyore is back with its owner, after the Alberta SPCA investigated its environment and wellbeing.

The donkey’s owner says the animal was taken on May 12 by two women who loaded Eeyore into a truck.

READ MORE: Alberta family pleading for pet donkey’s safe return

The Leduc RCMP issued a notice about the theft, and on May 23, the SPCA was alerted about the case.

“When we got the call, we ran a full investigation looking into the circumstances of how the donkey became injured and what its care was like from the owner,” explained Roland Lines with the SPCA.

The person reported that the donkey had overgrown hooves and that it appeared as though it hadn’t seen a vet for a long time.

“As part of that, we contacted the owner, inspected the owner’s property, had a vet look at the donkey and determined that, if we returned the donkey to the owner, it would receive appropriate care.”

Eeyore was back at the Leduc County farm on May 27.

UPDATE: Kidnapped pet donkey reunited with his owner 

His owner says some conditions came with Eeyore’s return, including making sure he stays in his pen.

“The case is not fully closed because we’re still monitoring to make sure that the owner does in fact follow up with the care that the donkey requires,” said Lines.

“We do not anticipate any charges at this time, unless some new evidence comes forward,” he added.

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Lines is grateful for public concern of animals, however, he says Albertans still need to respect the law.

“The Alberta SPCA relies on concerned members of the public to let us know when they find an animal that is in distress.

“We want the public to realize though, that we’re an agency that has authority to take custody of animals when it’s needed, to run investigations, and so, if somebody finds an animal in distress, they should call us right away,” he explained. “Any delays in calling us can lead to problems with us running a full investigation.”

“It’s great for people to have concern for animals, but they still need to operate within the legal parameters of who’s allowed to take custody of an animal.”