Van Dongen encouraged by court verdict
Acquittal of brother encouraging news to Delta farmer
Dan Ferguson
Staff Reporter

The dismissal of animal cruelty charges against the father of provincial
agriculture minister John van Dongen has been welcomed by the minister's
uncle, who is facing similar charges.
Surrey resident John van Dongen, who shares the same name as his nephew,
predicted he will win his case as well and complained that the charges
against him and his brother are the result of a long-running feud between
his family and the SPCA, (a claim the animal protection agency has
rejected).
"It's nothing but a vendetta," van Dongen said.
"It¹s political."
The Dec. 23 ruling by Abbotsford provincial court Judge Peder Gulbransen
dismissed the charges against 82-year-old Quirinus van Dongen, ruling there
was a reasonable doubt that 21 horses and 51 cattle were in distress when
they were seized from Quirinus' Abbotsford farm in April of 2003.
Gulbransen noted the case did not include an allegation that any animals
actually suffered harm, but that conditions on the farm exposed the animals
to an unacceptable risk of serious harm.
"The level of manure in the barns and surrounding area are probably at a
greater level than it should have been," said Gulbransen.
"That does not, in itself, prove neglect or that the cows were at risk of
suffering harm."
John van Dongen is scheduled to appear in Surrey Provincial court next week
to answer a pair of animal cruelty charges laid after the SPCA seized three
horses from his East Ladner farm near the intersection of Hwy. 10 and the
Hwy. 99 overpass in December of 2003.
Two of the horses were returned shortly afterwards following a veterinary
inspection, while the third one, a foal was in the SPCA's care for several
months until it was brought back to the farm.
Van Dongen is also sueing the SPCA over a $14,000 vet and boarding bill.
He said he is confident he will also be vindicated by the courts, dismissing
the SPCA assessment of his animals' condition.
"They don¹t understand livestock."
John van Dongen has been to court with the SPCA before.
In 1986, a provincial court judge acquitted him of neglect charges and
failing to properly feed two horses, ruling that while the animals, a
Clydesdale and a Palomino were in poor condition, it was not because they
were abused.
In his written decision, Judge Cyril Woodliffe called the seizure of the two
horses by the Surrey SPCA "arbitrary and high-handed."
Woodliffe said the "unfortunate animals" could have been left in the care of
van Dongen rather than "stuck in the back of a shelter for a number of days
until finally one had to be destroyed."
"I've beaten them every time," van Dongen said.