A B.C. woman with a history of animal neglect has lost an appeal to have nearly 100 animals seized from her property returned to her, and has been ordered to pay more than $250,000 for their care.
Janet Foulds filed the appeal with the British Columbia Farm Industry Review Board after 67 dogs and puppies, 27 horses, and three cats were seized from her Princeton, B.C., property in September.
In August 2020, the Princeton RCMP department filed a concern with the BC SPCA regarding animals reported as being neglected and without water.
The RCMP had initially received an anonymous complaint about large numbers of animals at the property on Old Hedley Road.
Officers said they observed puppies in a horse trailer, feces throughout the property, animals confined to wire crates, animals on chains and in chicken-wire pens, and cages on the upper deck of the home.
After an inspection and follow-up compliance checks, the BC SPCA executed a search warrant on Sept. 23 and seized the animals.
A month later, Marcie Moriarty, the society’s chief investigation and enforcement officer, decided not to return the animals to Foulds out of concern for their wellbeing.
Several puppies died of parvovirus shortly after they were seized.
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“She drew on the veterinary notes, photographs, and invoices to demonstrate that the seized animals were not ‘healthy,’ and pointed to Dr. Mills’ conclusion that the Appellant ‘failed to provide the basic necessities of life to the animals in her care,’ including vaccinations and deworming that would have prevented great suffering in the puppies and even some of their deaths,” the appeal decision states.
Veterinarian Dr. Britt Mills recommended the seizure of the animals, according to documents.
“Dr. Mills recommended immediate seizure of all the dogs based on strong evidence of lack of basic care, severe overcrowding, inattentiveness to basic veterinary needs, and cruelty from inhumane living conditions,” the appeal decision notes.
Dr. Mills said it was “overwhelmingly clear that their basic needs were not being met in any way.”
Dr. Mills also recommended that all the horses be seized due to inadequate food and shelter, untreated wounds, poor body condition scores, pasture hazards, and the presence of one animal that had been left in severe distress for months.
In addressing the possibility of returning the animals, Moriarty raised concerns about the long-term contamination issues with parvovirus and the lack of an adequate care plan.
Ultimately, she questioned how one person can realistically care for 86 dogs, horses, and cats “even in the best of health and in the best of facilities, let alone in these conditions.”
Foulds disputed this and maintained that no animals were in distress on her property, and all animals have been appropriately cared for and socialized.
Foulds also claimed all of her dogs were on a proper vaccination and deworming program.
She blamed the BC SPCA for the sick puppies, claiming the society put them at risk by seizing them and giving the puppies shots and sprays on the night of the seizure.
The review board documents note Foulds is the subject of 40 complaints about inadequate care of animals between 2006 and 2020.
The majority of the complaints arose in the Surrey and Langley area, where Foulds has multiple properties.
Tamara Leigh, a presiding member of the review board, dismissed Foulds appeal and said none of the animals would be returned to her.
“While it may be in her interest to have the animals returned so she could attempt to sell them, based on the entirety of the evidence before me, I am satisfied that even in the short term it is not in the best interests of any of the animals to be returned to the Appellant’s care,” Leigh wrote in her decision.
The review board also ordered Foulds to pay the society’s costs associated with the care of the animals, to the tune of $253,000.
As for the fate of the surviving animals, the review board said the society is permitted to destroy, sell, or dispose of the animals.
Global Okanagan has reached out to the BC SPCA for an update on the seized animals.
Foulds has not been criminally charged.
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