Vernon

BC SPCA animal cruelty investigators seized several animals from a roadside petting zoo north of Vernon on July 16 after the SPCA received complaints about the health and welfare of the animals. SPCA constables took two pot-bellied pigs, two turtles and a desert fox into custody and issued orders to improve conditions for many of the remaining animals on the property.

"There are hundreds of animals on the site," said Const. Kathy Woodward. "The animals we seized were determined to be in distress and we will be following up to ensure that the caretakers of the animals comply with the additional orders that were issued."

The pot-bellied pigs were suffering from a number of welfare issues, including badly overgrown hooves and untreated eye infections. "The pigs were also eating loose insulation that was lying around the area where they were housed," said Woodward.

The fennec fox, a small desert dweller native to the Sahara, was kept in a poorly lit and poorly ventilated enclosure and in poor health. "He is extremely thin, appears to have internal parasites, and is exhibiting abnormal behaviour, such as a constant shaking of the head," said Woodward. Normally found in social groups, the fox was housed alone in an isolated enclosure.

The seized turtles were being kept in a filthy aquarium with no filtration system. The water in the murky aquarium was deep and there were no perches for the turtles to rest upon to enable them to breathe above the water.

"It is unacceptable that animals would be kept in these conditions, particularly in a public facility where the accused are making a profit off the animals by charging admission," said Woodward.

The seized animals are receiving ongoing care in the custody of the SPCA. The investigation continues and charges of animal cruelty are pending.

Interview with animal cruelty investigator Kathy Woodward. (Kelly Hayes)