A Windsor woman is facing animal cruelty charges related to the alleged neglect of animals under her care as part of Royals Animal Rescue Service.
Windsor/Essex County Humane Society officers have laid provincial animal cruelty charges.
The woman has been charged with two counts of permitting an animal to be in distress, two counts of failing to provide adequate and appropriate veterinary care, and one count of failing to comply with orders under the Ontario SPCA Act.
Executive Director Melanie Coulter tells CTV Windsor they received a number of complaints that a dog had died while in the care of Royals Animal Rescue.
It is believed the rescue operates out of a home on Howard Avenue.
Coulter adds there are very loose regulations concerning animal rescues.
“Many and most rescues are very legitimate, they have the right intentions and they're doing right by the animals in their care but, sometimes that's not the case,” says Coulter. “So, it's important that if you're adopting from a rescue or looking to surrender that you ask a lot of questions and that you make sure you know who you're dealing with.”
It is the policy of the humane society not to publish the names of individuals charged until there has been a conviction, as all people charged with an offence are presumed innocent.
The accused’s first appearance in court will be July 15 in Windsor.
The humane society currently provides animal law enforcement services as an affiliate of the Ontario SPCA.
While the Ontario SPCA has decided to withdraw from providing these services on behalf of the government at the end of June, the Windsor/ Essex County Humane Society and a number of other humane societies have offered to continue providing investigations services.
On June 6, the provincial government passed amendments to the Ontario SPCA Act which makes that possible.
