'Among the worst I've seen': More than 200 cows seized from Vancouver Island property for neglect
The BC SPCA says more than 200 beef cattle were seized from a Vancouver Island property after the owner reportedly left them in distressing conditions.
A total of 216 cows, including approximately 80 calves, were seized from the property on Wednesday and Thursday.
The BC SPCA was granted a warrant to remove the animals after the cows were found to be in poor condition, with issues at the property including lack of sufficient feed and water, lack of veterinary care, inadequate shelter, and poor living conditions – including areas where some cows were being kept in knee-deep mud, according to the SPCA.
BC SPCA’s regional manager of cruelty investigations, Kaley Pugh, says the living conditions were "among the worst” she’s ever seen.
"The animals were suffering from a wide range of issues and illness, including emaciation, lameness, eye infections, as well as pneumonia," Pugh said in a release Friday.
The 216 cows are now being cared for at an undisclosed location, where they are receiving veterinary care.
The BC SPCA says it's grateful to everyone who assisted in finding and relocating the cattle.
"We received invaluable help from the Malahat Fire Department, which brought a tanker truck to the location to fill water troughs," said Pugh.
"We also received assistance from the B.C. Dairy Association, who helped us access many of the resources we needed for such a large seizure, and tremendous help from the haulers who worked tirelessly to ensure the cattle were loaded and transported safely under extremely challenging circumstances," she said.
The BC SPCA is recommending charges of animal cruelty to Crown counsel.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.