Stuart Hunter
The Province

Wednesday, March 17, 2004

A farmer is being investigated for alleged cruelty after neighbours complained that seven horses had starved to death on his Dawson Creek farm and he was failing to care for the survivors.

The farmer, Eddie Herron, turned the horses out for winter in December and failed to care for them afterwards, said a former friend of Herron's, who asked to be identified only as Harold.

"I used to visit him and take care of the horses," Harold said. "He used to have somebody else help him, too."

Harold said the horses ate only meagre amounts of hay, no oats, and snow for water.

Herron's phone line was out of service yesterday.

Harold claims he first called the Dawson Creek SPCA more than a month ago when the 40 or so quarter horses were still alive. As the horse began to die a few weeks ago in -35 C weather, he kept calling but nothing was done and the carcasses lay in the field.

"I talked to [the SPCA] more than once and they assured me something would be done, but they did nothing," he said. "It's a shame. They were real nice horses."

SPCA spokeswoman Lo-rie Chortyk confirmed the probe into the horses' fate.

"When there is a cruelty complaint we have to gather enough evidence to go back to a judge and get a [search] warrant to go on the property, so we are just in the process of doing that," Chortyk said. "It's a very quick process."

Chortyk said it's unlikely that repeated calls of neglect would go unanswered. She contended the SPCA only received the reports after the seven horses had died.

"That doesn't really sound right," she said. "Definitely in the north there is a huge lack of [SPCA] resources, but, no, it wouldn't be that long [a delay]. We would get someone up there."

Chortyk said due to cuts, the SPCA doesn't have provincial constables in communities north of Prince George, but, instead, they have "very experienced volunteers."

The investigation will focus on veterinarian reports and eyewitness accounts, and cruelty charges could be forthcoming.

"We would gather all the evidence and present it to Crown counsel," Chortyk said. "It's Crown counsel who would decide whether charges would be pursued."

Chortyk said plans are being made to board the surviving horses in the area and nurse them back to health.