By Sheldon Spackman

Livestock Neglect

Tees-area couple fined $15,000 for animal neglect

Apr 30, 2019 | 12:00 PM

A Tees-area couple found guilty of neglecting their livestock so poorly that some of them died has been fined $15,000.

Garnet and Joann Schultz, who own a 30-acre plot of land near Tees, were sentenced in Red Deer provincial court on Tuesday.

In addition to the fines, the couple was banned for life from owning any animals, except for a single dog which requires a letter of good health from a veterinarian in order to stay with them.

Judge Bart Rosborough gave the couple two years to pay the fines, noting they would face jail time of 50 to 60 days if they fail to do so.

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The Schultzes were found guilty earlier this year of three charges each under Alberta’s Animal Protection Act, including one of causing an animal to be in distress and two counts of failing to provide proper care.

The couple originally pleaded not guilty to their charges. But after it was determined during trial that evidence from a search of the property was admissible, their pleas changed.

During trial, court heard from veterinarian Dr. Patrick Burrage, who testified the property on Range Road 235 contained 105 animals, many confined to a very small area.

He told court, “This is number one on the list of bad farms. These were the worst conditions I’ve ever seen; conditions that could’ve been managed earlier. This is a haunting one.”

Every animal on the hobby farm, except for three dogs, was seized during an inspection of the property on Jan. 11.

Joann Schultz addressed court during trial, saying they bought the property 22 years ago because of their love for animals.

“Most of the animals we got were either rescued from auction marts, on the way to the slaughterhouse, or people phoning us up and asking us to take them. We never hesitated to hook the trailer up to go get them,” she testified at the time, choking back tears. “It wasn’t a business. We never thought of them as livestock. Each one was named.”

(With file from Josh Hall, rdnewsNOW)