Seven horses reportedly being shipped to Manitoba were seized in Edmonton last Sunday night after city police found their trailer left by the roadside, allegedly for days.
A 74-year-old man faces charges of causing or permitting an animal to be in distress, punishable by a maximum fine of $20,000, the Edmonton Police Service said in a release Monday.
Police said they responded Sunday night to a report of an abandoned trailer near 124th St. and Yellowhead Trail and opened the unit to find seven horses “standing in feces and urine.”
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“It appears that the horses were in the trailer for at least two days, possibly three, without water, and very limited food,” Staff Sgt. Blair Edl said in the release.
“The responding members felt the animals were in distress, and felt they needed to help out, as they were very upset by the situation.”
One of the officers “took it upon himself to find accommodations for the animals immediately” and contacted Northlands AgriCom, which agreed to put up the horses until they can be transported to a shelter, police said.
CTV in Edmonton quoted Acting Detective Gary Benoit as saying the horses were scared, jumping and kicking.
CTV on Monday also quoted investigators as saying they were told by the man facing charges that he is not the owner of the horses. He was hired, he said, to haul the animals to Manitoba and his truck failed.
The man told police he left the trailer in an attempt to get the truck fixed, CTV said.
