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Eight dogs found in Innisfail hotel room were kept in cages

Eight dogs, kept in cages in a small hotel room in Innisfail are recovering from a harrowing ordeal.
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Eight dogs, kept in cages in a small hotel room in Innisfail are recovering from a harrowing ordeal.

Jim DeBoon, Animal control officer and owner/operator of Klassic Kennels, said three of the dogs were emotionally and mentally stressed.

“The physical condition of the dogs wasn’t that bad, but there were eight dogs in a tiny room in cages,” said DeBoon. “They hadn’t been in the care of these people long enough to have physical deterioration.”

Through his investigation, DeBoon found that two of the dogs had come into the possession of the accused about 15 hours before the accused were arrested.

Innisfail RCMP arrested a 46-year-old woman on July 17 in a room at the Bluebird hotel in Innisfail. Police said she was in possession of eight dogs, contrary to court imposed conditions to not possess animals.

It is believed the accused came into possession of the eight dogs over a two week period.

However, the dogs were all obtained through legal methods. According to the Innisfail RCMP, at seven of the eight dogs were wilfully given up by the previous owner either through a money transaction or adopted away.

The eighth dog, a dachshund, has been difficult to find the original owner for so it is unknown how they came into possession of it.

“Everyone handed them their dogs,” said DeBoon. “A couple were paid for, but most they got for free.”

DeBoon and Klassic Kennels have been hard at work finding the previous owners, but in many cases the circumstances that led them to give away their dogs haven’t changed and they are unable to care for the dogs.

“The reality is all the people who owned these dogs were trying to rehome these dogs and some of them can’t take them back because the reasons that caused it still exist,” said DeBoon.

“The dogs are doing fine right now.”

Karin Adams 46, of no fixed address, is charged with mischief, impersonating a peace officer, driving a motor vehicle without holding a valid licence, trespassing, harbouring more than three dogs and eight counts of failing to obtain a dog licence.

Adams is set to appear in Red Deer provincial court on July 31. She has been released from custody on conditions including a prohibition from owning, having the custody or control of or residing in the same premise of any animal.

Adams was given a 20-year ban from owning animals in B.C. in October 2015



mcrawford@reddeeradvocate.com

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