EDMONTON — A British Columbia man who’s accused of abandoning seven horses along a road in Edmonton insists he did nothing wrong.
Abe Phillips of McBride, B.C., says he was transporting the horses to Manitoba when his truck broke down Sunday in Edmonton.
The 75-year-old man says he tried to sleep in his cold truck, and in the morning he fed the horses and went to look for a garage.
He says he fed the horses a second time before he went to a nearby hotel to sleep for a few hours.
That’s where police found him and told him that he was being charged under the Animal Protection Act with causing or allowing an animal to be in distress.
Phillips’ friends say he is a well-known and responsible animal owner who should have been given the benefit of doubt.
The friends took the horses to a ranch in Sangudo, to be cared for until arrangements can be made to transport the animals to Manitoba.
“You think I want to abandon my truck and trailer?” Phillips said.
“If I’m guilty I’ll take the consequences, but I’m not guilty.”
Edmonton police say they found the horses standing in the trailer in six to nine centimetres of manure and urine. They appeared to have not been fed for several days.
Phillips is scheduled to return to Edmonton next month for a court date on the charges.