Surrey Leader

Trouble at horse rescue centre

Brighter Days Horse Rescue Centre served as a temporary home for homeless Vancouver man last year who helped rescue a woman from drowning.
By Dan Ferguson
Staff Reporter
Feb 07 2007

The Brighter Days Horse Rescue Centre in Cloverdale surrendered a number of animals to the SPCA a few days after Surrey RCMP discovered the remnants of a marijuana grow op at the centre's address.

A police report said officers seized three pot plants in a small bedroom at 9099 175 Street during a Nov. 3 visit and also located about 20 used planters.

No charges were laid, but officers issued a warning.

On Nov. 6, the centre turned over three horses, two llamas, five chickens, five rabbits and two rats to the SPCA.

An SPCA official said the animals were voluntarily given over.

Petra Smith, the founder of the centre, could not be reached for comment.

Brighter Days voice mail and e-mail in-boxes were full and not accepting new messages Monday. A fax number appeared to be working, but there was no response to a Leader query.

Two visits to the 100-acre site on Monday and Tuesday found the front gates double-locked and no signs of activity.

Last year Brighter Days hired, then fired a homeless Vancouver man who helped rescue a woman from drowning.

Keith Finsterwald was heralded as a hero by Vancouver police after he helped an officer rescue a woman when she and her boyfriend drove into the Fraser River.

Finsterwald was given a 46-foot-long mobile home donated by a Port Moody marine surveying company in a deal organized by animal activist Penny March of Forgotten Felines.

Because March's cat shelter had no room for the trailer, it was set up at Smith's horse rescue centre.

March said Finsterwald was eventually fired because he showed little interest in working with horses or cats and kept disappearing for days at a time.