A Saskatoon man has been charged after more than a dozen dogs died at Playful Paws Pet Center last September.
At the time, a spokesperson for the facility said a malfunction in the building’s heating system caused hot air to be pushed into one of its upstairs kennel rooms on Sept. 10. As a result, 14 large-breed dogs died from heat stroke and dehydration.
An investigation by Saskatoon police and the SPCA found the dogs were left unattended overnight without water in a dangerously warm room.
A 50-year-old Saskatoon man has now been charged with negligence under the Animal Protection Act. His first court appearance is scheduled for March 29 in Saskatoon Provincial Court.
Patricia Cameron, executive director of the Saskatoon SPCA, said shortly after the dogs’ deaths that there are no licensing regulations for kennels.
On Wednesday, she said a conviction for negligence under the Animal Protection Act can net a fine of not more than $25,000 or up to two years in jail, or both.
But it's unusual to see penalties at the top end, Cameron said.
"That's one of the issues that the community has been having with cases of animal neglect and cruelty is that there's often fairly light penalties," she said. "People feel it should be a more significant deterrent."
--- with files from The Canadian Press
