By Troy Gillard and Sheldon Spackman

Animal rights group protests at Red Deer Courthouse

Sep 14, 2018 | 2:23 PM

A local animal rights group wants to put an end to the practice of humans breeding and selling animals for profit.

The Red Deer Animal Rights Advocates (RDARA) say they are a group that is rallying to demand changes to provincial and federal legislation for higher animal care standards and tougher penalties for animal abusers.

“Because we want to see animals being recognized as sentient beings, I don’t feel that they should be for sale any more than humans should be for sale,” said a group spokesperson, who asked not to be named.

Members of the group were at the Red Deer Courthouse Friday morning for the latest court appearance for Karin Adams. The 46-year-old is accused of harbouring eight distressed dogs at an Innisfail motel earlier this year. She was arrested last week for allegedly breaching her release conditions.

Karin and her daughter Catherine were convicted of animal cruelty in B.C. and are banned from owing animals in that province for 20 years. Catherine is also awaiting sentencing on other animal cruelty charges out of Hanna this year.

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RDARA plans to attend each court appearance for Karin Adams until they feel justice has been served.

“We believe that repeat offenders, such as they are, will set the precedent for why federal changes are needed,” the group says in a statement.

Their spokesperson says they would also like pet stores to only sell animals that come from shelters, and that online pet sales (ex. Kijiji) be banned, claiming that’s where many criminals acquire their animals.  

“There’s no welfare for the animals at all,” the RDADA spokesperson claimed. “If I can go get a couple of dogs at a breeding facility, who is policing or monitoring what’s happening? We’re hearing all these stories about deplorable conditions that animals are kept in. Something has to change. Something just has to change.”

RDADA says animal overpopulation is also a serious issue they’d like to see addressed by making spaying and neutering programs more accessible.

Karin Adams remains in custody at the Red Deer Remand Centre and will be back in court Tuesday to speak to her alleged breach of conditions. She’s scheduled for trial on the Innisfail charges on Nov. 7.