STONY PLAIN, Alta. — The owner of two horses that were found dead on rural property she was renting west of Edmonton has been found not guilty on animal cruelty charges.
Judge Steven Bilodeau told Stony Plain provincial court that he couldn’t prove within a reasonable doubt that Patricia Moore wilfully caused the horses to starve.
Moore's defence lawyer argued on the last day of her trial that Moore provided the best care she could for dozens of animals she and two friends owned at the time.
A vet who was called to the property near Evansburg in December 2018 told court that many of Moore’s horses were malnourished, and there was seemingly no food or water accessible to the animals.
Moore said the landowner was responsible for feeding her animals, which he disputed.
Moore still faces 27 charges under Alberta's Animal Protection Act, including causing distress to an animal, failing to provide adequate food and water, and failing to provide appropriate care when an animal is sick or injured.
A trial on those charges is to go ahead next spring. (CTV Edmonton)
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2020
The Canadian Press
