Neglect trial looms

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Published: August 1, 2024

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REGINA — A Saskatchewan man from the Craik area is to appear in Moose Jaw Provincial Court Aug. 12 on charges of animal neglect.

Tom Miller was charged in September 2023 after about 50 head were seized from his farm earlier that year. The cattle were subsequently returned to him after he paid the costs of the seizure.

Miller is charged under sections 4 and 23 of the Animal Protection Act, 2018 in Saskatchewan and Section 445 of the Criminal Code.

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Section 4 states no one shall allow an animal to be in distress or remain so. The second charge is for failure to follow a corrective order issued by Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan. The Criminal Code charge is for animal neglect.

APSS confirmed the charges but would not comment further.

The seized cows, calves and bulls were taken to Heartland Livestock in Moose Jaw on May 24, returned to Miller June 3, and he was charged Sept. 19, according to Miller.

He said he paid about $35,000 to get his animals back and faces another $63,000 in legal bills.

Miller said his cattle were grazing on green grass before heading to the community pasture at the time they were seized. He said he had been ordered to put bales in the pasture to give the animals the option of hay instead of grass.

“If I was this horrible person, I have not seen these people since,” he said in early July, more than a year after the seizure.

“They haven’t bothered to come back out here and look.”

About the author

Karen Briere

Karen Briere

Karen Briere grew up in Canora, Sask. where her family had a grain and cattle operation. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Regina and has spent more than 30 years covering agriculture from the Western Producer’s Regina bureau.

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