A Dundurn, Sask., horse breeder believes the SPCA has got it all wrong.
Debbie Kelln, a longtime horse breeder and exhibitor, said the association’s animal protection officer visited her horse farm unannounced twice in recent weeks.
“They put you in a position where you have to defend yourself,” she said.
The officer left a written list of areas requiring attention that included treating scrapes and cuts on horses, trimming hoofs, keeping recovering animals inside the yard and reporting back to the association within a day of the inspection.
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Kelln said the investigator did not contact her to discuss the concerns.
“They are making assumptions about treatment or the lack of treatment,” she said.
Kelln said any conditions or injuries in the horses, which include wire cuts to a mare and foal, are being treated daily with hydrotherapy and oils. Others were shedding their heavy winter coats at the time of the first SPCA visit.
A local veterinarian has seen the injured horses, said Kelln.
Her business, Kelln Quarterhorses, houses 38 horses on a 100 acre farm. She and her husband board another 14 for other horse owners.
One is a retired 22-year-old mare with Cushing’s disease, which results in a thin horse.
She has now contacted a lawyer, sent a letter of rebuttal to the Saskatchewan SPCA and spoken with a association director about the “frivolous complaint” lodged by someone who visited the farm.
Frances Wach, executive director of the Saskatchewan SPCA, confirmed the farm is under investigation but said no charges have been laid. She declined to discuss specifics.
Under the Animal Protection Act, SPCA investigators are authorized to conduct on-site inspections and consult with professionals such as veterinarians in response to complaints alleging deficiencies in food, water, shelter and care.
The association investigated 483 complaints from April 2005 to March 2006.
Wach said six percent resulted in charges, 64 percent were resolved with owner education and 30 percent were unfounded or inconclusive.
