The owner of two horses found near the B.C.-Alberta border two months ago has been charged with three counts of animal cruelty, the B.C. SPCA said yesterday.
Frank Mackay, from Edmonton, allegedly abandoned his three-year-old mare Belle and 14-year-old gelding Sundance near McBride, west of Prince George. It took volunteers a week to shovel a one-kilometre trench through the snow to save the animals, which were malnourished and suffering from exposure.
“We placed the horses in temporary foster care where they received ongoing veterinary care until they were ready to be adopted,” said Shawn Eccles, the B.C. SPCA’s chief animal protection officer. They have since been found permanent homes.
Mackay makes his first court appearance on June 12. If convicted, he faces a maximum fine of $10,000, up to five years in jail and a ban on owning animals.
