No charges will be laid after an incident that resulted in a “number” of guinea pigs dying due to what the SPCA calls “inhumane euthanasia” at the Cherry Brook Zoo in Saint John.
Details are scarce, but the New Brunswick SPCA said in a statement on Wednesday that an investigation into the incident was opened in January, 2019.
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Officers with the SPCA gathered information and evidence, with the organization ultimately recommending that charges be laid for inhumane euthanasia and causing unnecessary pain and suffering.
On Wednesday, the SPCA says they were notified that after review by the Crown prosecutors, there will be no pending charges.
In a statement, the Board of Trustees at Cherry Brook Zoo said they were always confident that their rules and procedures have “aligned with the policies and guidelines set forth by Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA).”
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Although their statement does not directly respond to the SPCA statement — or even explicitly mention what incident they are referring to — the zoo states that they have a program “where animals are used for feeding.”
“This is a common practice globally. However, animals involved in the program are euthanized humanely as per CAZA guidelines,” the statement from Cherry Brook Zoo reads.
“Cherry Brook Zoo has always placed the welfare and needs of the animals in its care as its number one priority and we would like everyone to know that this will continue to be the case.”
The NBSPCA says they “cannot provide any additional comments on this decision or the case.”
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