VICTORIA -- Nanaimo’s BC SPCA branch is now home to Vancouver Island’s first barn dedicated to caring for abused and neglected farm animals.

“Before, we never had a place for farm animals to come,” said Leon Davis, BC SPCA Nanaimo branch manager on Wednesday.

“They would kind of show up and we’d make due with space we have, or use foster farms. But now we have this amazing facility,” Davis said.

Seasted Stables, named after the Seasted Foundation, which made a considerable donation to the project, is a 3,600 square-foot facility.

It includes a 2,500 square-foot barn with four stalls (each with its own paddock), exercise space, treatment area and a pasture.

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The barn marks the third facility the BC SPCA has in the province which is solely dedicated to the care of farm animals. The others are located in Surrey and Kelowna.

Last year, 1,342 cases involving farm animals were investigated by the BC SPCA, including 217 cases on Vancouver Island.