BC SPCA recommends charges against conservation centre after deaths of three giraffes

2010-02-10

N. Hall, Vancouver Sun

The B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is recommending charges of animal cruelty be laid against Mountain View Conservation Centre after a six-week investigation into the care of giraffes at the Fort Langley facility.

Three giraffes have died at the facility, including an adult male named Jerome, who died on Feb. 5 after being sedated for a hoof-trimming procedure.

Marcie Moriarty, head of the BC SPCA's Cruelty Investigations Department, said the SPCA is waiting for necropsy results and will submit its recommendation to Crown counsel within the next few weeks, as soon as all necropsy and toxicology reports are available.

The BC SPCA first responded to a complaint about Mountain View Conservation Centre on Nov. 23, 2009 and immediately issued an order to trim Jerome's hooves.

"This procedure would normally require a squeeze - a standard piece of equipment that the centre should have had available, but did not," Moriarty said in a news release.

"Under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act we are required to give animal owners a 'reasonable time' to comply with an order. In this case we gave Mountain View four weeks to comply with the order to trim Jerome's hooves."

The SPCA made a number of follow-up visits to Mountain View, resulting in further orders being issued in December and January regarding the giraffes and other species.

"Two giraffes died during a December cold snap and Jerome's condition appeared to be deteriorating, resulting in the SPCA issuing yet another order to Mountain View," Moriarty said.

"Mountain View's failure to ensure that they were adequately equipped to look after animals in their care resulted in this tragedy. This is just unacceptable."

She said that because the case involved exotic wild animals, the SPCA had no choice but to leave the animals at Mountain View during the investigation.

"This is a perfect example of why the BC SPCA fought so hard last year to see new, stricter regulations passed in B.C. regarding the trafficking and keeping of exotic animals," Moriarty said.

"When a facility like Mountain View acquires giraffes and other exotic species, they have a legal and moral responsibility to provide proper care, equipment and facilities. This investigation was extremely frustrating for the SPCA because in other animal-cruelty cases we can step in and seize an animal if orders are not followed, but with an exotic animal we don't have that capacity."

The SPCA will be forwarding a recommendation for charges against the facility in the next few weeks.

The BC SPCA conducts almost 4,800 animal-cruelty investigations a year and relies on donations from the public to continue its work. To report animal cruelty or find out more about the BC SPCA, visit www.spca.bc.ca.