Parksville Qualicum Beach News
Three arrested in weekend SPCA dog theft

A small group of people held a protest recently, over the regional district’s seizure of two dogs in January 2009. The animals were deemed dangerous and set to be destroyed before their owner won a stay.

Text By Auren Ruvinsky - Parksville Qualicum Beach News

Published: March 22, 2010 4:00 PM
Updated: March 22, 2010 6:54 PM

Three adult females were arrested on Friday in relation to a break-in and theft of dogs from the SPCA kennels the previous night.

Oceanside RCMP arrested the unnamed women by 5 p.m. Friday after investigating the theft which had been reported by the SPCA in Coombs at 7:50 that morning.

“We attended the scene Friday morning at 7:50,” said Staff Sgt. Brian Hunter, explaining “we were aware of the dogs being held and the possibility of heightened emotions.”

They gathered what he called “a lot of physical evidence” and began following leads and tips and pieced the puzzle together.

The two dogs, Chloe and Zack, had been seized by the Regional District of Nanaimo in January 2009, from Elaine Cameron in Errington after a dog fight. They were declared dangerous dogs and ordered destroyed by a provincial court judge.

Cameron successfully appealed to commute the death sentences and the RDN appealed to the court of appeal to reinstate the destruction order.

They were being kenneled at the SPCA on behalf of the RDN throughout the process.

“We are grateful to the RCMP for such a quick resolution,” said Tom Armet, manager of RDN building and bylaw services.

He added that the “dogs have been deemed dangerous to the public by a court so we are glad the dogs are back in a secure place while we continue to pursue a resolution.”

The suspects, who all live in the Oceanside area, where released from custody the same day by way of a Promise to Appear in Nanaimo Provincial Court on May 12, 2010. Names will not be releaced until after their first court appearance.

Charges of break and enter, theft under $5,000 and possession of stolen property will be recommended. The dogs were recovered by the RCMP and are being held at an undisclosed location.

The dogs had disappeared sometime between 11 p.m. Thursday night and 7:50 a.m. Friday when someone gained access by cutting open a section of the perimeter fence. Once in the compound, the culprits cut some kennel locks and released the dogs

When contacted for a comment on Monday Elaine Cameron declined the opportunity.