YARMOUTH, N.S. — A Yarmouth County senior has been prohibited from owning animals for 10 years after pleading guilty to an Animal Protection Act charge of causing his dogs to be in distress.
Douglas Wilson, 70, of Glenwood was sentenced April 2 in Yarmouth provincial court.
Wilson was also ordered to pay $300 restitution to the SPCA as part of his sentence.
According to a media release issued by the Nova Scotia SPCA, Wilson failed to comply with an SPCA order in late September 2017 to bring the living conditions of his nine dogs up to standard and to take the animals to a veterinarian for medical care.
As a result, SPCA officers seized three dogs from the property, while Wilson kept the other dogs inside the residence and refused to provide the officers access.
On Oct. 6, 2017, SPCA officers executed a search warrant at Wilson’s residence after attempts to work with him to alleviate his dogs’ distress failed. Seven more dogs were seized during that search.
The SPCA said many of the animals were malnourished and infested with fleas. One dog had been kept in complete darkness in the basement, away from the other dogs, due to behaviour issues.
One of the dogs required IV fluids to help it recover from anemia brought on by severe flea infestation, the SPCA said.