SASKATOON – A Saskatchewan auction market employee has been convicted of forgery after altering slaughter inspection certificates.
Allan Stewart, former manager of Heartland Livestock Services in Prince Albert, pled guilty to six charges of forgery in Saskatchewan provincial court last month.
Two animals Heartland had shipped to Lakeside Packers in Brooks, Alta., were condemned before slaughter by Agriculture Canada inspectors. Once animals are condemned, the producer or the auction market who sent them to the slaughtering plant is not paid for the animals, said Randy Wiens, Agriculture Canada communication’s officer in Calgary.
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Four other animals from the same load, shipped in December, were rejected by the packing plant’s inspectors. One was too small and the others had lumpy jaws or cancer eyes.
Lakeside officials phoned Stewart to ask what to do with the animals. When the packing plant rejects an animal, the auction market or seller is responsible for the cost of taking it to another plant. Wiens said Stewart told the plant to put the animals down.
“I made the choice to tell Lakeside to put them down,” said Stewart, adding no other packing plant would take the animals.
Later, when Stewart got the certificate of condemnation from Agriculture Canada on the two rejected animals, he altered it to include the four others rejected by the plant.
“I made a mistake, but they did too,” said Stewart.
He said Agriculture Canada should not have put animals from different owners on one condemnation certificate. Stewart had to photocopy the certificates to send to the different owners. When the condemnation certificate went to the owner of one of the animals, the altered certificates were discovered.
Producer upset
“He got a copy of the certificate and couldn’t believe we’d rejected the animals,” said Wiens.
He doesn’t think this kind of forgery is “typical,” but plans on changing the way condemnation certificates are issued. Agriculture Canada may start using an embossed seal on each certificate to prevent photocopies and alterations.
“Cattle producers should be aware it has happened on at least one occasion,” Wiens said.
Stewart has been given a conditional discharge and sentenced to six months probation. In a later interview, he explained his actions after the animals were rejected.
“I can’t keep them in the stockyard. If an animal activist showed up and (saw) us housing animals with big eyes and with lumps we’d be in trouble, too. There’s no excuse for me doing what I did do,” said Stewart, but he noted there was no financial gain by anyone involved.
Heartland is a livestock service owned by Saskatchewan and Manitoba wheat pools.
