The daughter of an animal cruelty duo has officially had her trial start after being accused of breaching her probation orders.
According to court documents, Catherine Adams appeared in B.C. Provincial Court in Quesnel for a second time in five days this week.
Dan McLaughlin, Communications Counsel of the B.C. Prosecution Service, tells PrinceGeorgeMatters a 'not guilty' plea was entered in response to an accusation of breaching per probation orders.
The trial officially began on May 16 with Tuesday (May 21) being another appearance to schedule a fixed date for the trial to continue.
Adams is set to appear next on July 16; her trial will only involve a Provincial Court judge.
Her mother, Karin Adams, and Catherine plead guilty to animal cruelty charges in 2015 after a 2014 B.C. SPCA investigation.
On Aug. 28, 2014, SPCA constables seized a total of 53 animals which included 18 horses, 18 large and small breed dogs, 15 birds, and two cats from their property near Houston, B.C.
The SPCA also removed 104 fish that were kept in 'filthy conditions.'
Catherine plead guilty in 2015 to charges under the Criminal Code of Canada as well as the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and was handed 15 days in jail, a 20-year ban on owning animals, a six month, conditional house arrest, and two years' of probation from the judge.
Her mother also pled guilty to causing or permitting an animal to be in distress.
The judge in the case also ordered each of them to pay $5,456 each in restitution to the B.C. SPCA to offset the animals care costs.
The horses, in particular, were kept in what the B.C. SPCA called "deplorable conditions" with overcrowding, inadequate and unsanitary shelter and little or no access to food.
“Many were underweight and several had overgrown hooves and suspected parasites,” Marice Moriarty, Chief Prevention and Enforcement Officer or the B.C. SPCA said in a release.
She also noted that two of the horses were so malnourished that they had been eating a large section of wood from the back wall of a shed in an attempt to survive.
On Jul. 4, 2018, the SPCA once again found 16 dogs in distress on a property in Quesnel.
A German shepherd, a Yorkshire terrier, a retriever, bull terriers, standard poodles, Portuguese water dogs, a Pekingese, corgi-border collie crosses, and miniature pinschers were all in crates too small for their sizes and were also in a poorly ventilated area, with little or no access to water and feces/urine soaked matting.
“It is extremely frustrating when we deal with repeat offenders, particularly those who breach the terms of their sentencing,” Moriarty said in a separate release. “However, we are pleased that these dogs are now safe and are getting the attention and care they need.”
The pair had also been convicted in Alberta for prior animal cruelty offenses.
