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90-day sentence for woman posing as animal control officer

Nov 15, 2018 | 11:02 AM

A former B.C. woman, who tried to steal the dog of an Innisfail family this summer by posing as an animal control officer, was given a 90-day sentence in Red Deer Provincial Court on Wednesday.

Appearing through CCTV at the Calgary Remand Centre, Karin Adams, 47, pleaded guilty to personation, criminal harassment and breaching a court order, with both Crown prosecutor Brittany Ashmore and defence lawyer Rod Clark making a joint submission for the 90-day sentence (which will be covered by time already served).

Adams, who had been in custody since her arrest at an Innisfail motel on September 6 for breaching court-ordered conditions, was also given a 10-year firearms ban and three-years of probation which prohibits her from having custody of or residing with animals, in addition to staying out of Innisfail and at least 200 metres away from the victim’s home.

It was on July 17 of this year when Adams, posing as an animal control officer, showed up at the victim’s Innisfail residence and asked the woman while she was gardening if her black Labrador was spayed or neutered. Adams then threatened to return and kick-in the door to retrieve the dog.

The victim called Innisfail RCMP and Adams was arrested the next day at the Bluebird Motel in Innisfail where she was found to be in possession of eight dogs in distress. She was charged for personating a peace officer and released on conditions.

On July 29, Adams tailgated the victim while she was driving and later walked up to the victim’s home, making eye contact with the woman and laughing at her.

Then on September 4, Adams appeared at the back fence of the victim’s home despite a court-ordered condition not to be within 200 metres of the residence and tried to call the dog over.

Adams was arrested again following the incident and remained behind bars until Wednesday’s court appearance through CCTV.

Adams, who is also under a 20-year ban from owning animals in B.C., still faces several bylaw offences in relation to the Innisfail incidents and returns to court December 3 to answer to those counts. Eleven other charges against Adams were withdrawn.

Her daughter Catherine Adams is currently incarcerated after being convicted earlier this year for charges of animal cruelty.

The younger Adams was arrested following the seizure of several malnourished horses, dogs and birds from a property near Hanna, Alberta in 2015.