A Lampman, Sask., farmer charged nearly two years ago under animal welfare laws has been fined after pleading guilty.
Chad Mokelky was fined $7,200 and assessed a victim surcharge of $2,800 after pleading guilty under Section 4 of the Animal Protection Act. Criminal code charges were stayed.
Mokelky is also prohibited from having cattle or other livestock in his possession for five years.
Related story: Animal welfare charges laid in Sask.
Animal protection workers seized 131 animals from Mokelky’s property in February 2019. Sixteen animals were also found dead.
He was subsequently charged under Section 4(2) of provincial legislation for causing or permitting an animal to be in distress.
The two Criminal Code of Canada charges were similar.
Mokelky took Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan to court shortly after the seizure, alleging it had been done improperly and that the seized animals didn’t belong to him. However, his application was dismissed.
Other cases continue to make their way through the courts but have been delayed by COVID-19.
APSS executive director Don Ferguson said the mild weather through most of December and January has been welcome, and no large livestock seizures have occurred.
“We have issued 16 Corrective Action Orders since Sept. 1 and all owners have complied with the order or shown significant improvement to relieve animals of their distress,” he said.
Reports involving cattle are down slightly over the past two years, he said, but other livestock numbers are similar.
Contact karen.briere@producer.com
