A woman from Hamilton, who had nearly 60 dogs taken from her home last summer by provincial authorities, will only need to pay a small part of the $101,000 bill for their care, according to a recent tribunal ruling.
This decision was made by the Ontario Animal Care Review Board last week after Alina Vernigorova contested the hefty bill.
Adjudicator Debra Backstein decided that she should pay only $10,000 – a sum that reflects both the “significant public resources expended” and Vernigorova’s “limited financial resources,” among other considerations, as stated in the decision.
Last July, following complaints from worried neighbors and Hamilton police, animal welfare investigators visited Vernigorova’s Stoney Creek residence.
Police had previously removed one dog from the property; however, investigators discovered an additional 58 dogs inside – predominantly miniature poodles.
“The dwelling was covered in layers of feces and the floors were soaked with urine,” states the board’s ruling. “There were dogs throughout the house, some in crates, all living in unsanitary conditions without adequate food or water.”
Vernigorova did not reply to a request for comment.
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The board concluded that total costs – which came to over $108,000 – were reasonable and necessary. The province adjusted Vernigorova’s responsibility down to $101,000.
She appealed this amount and provided testimony at her hearing in November where she questioned how officials could verify that these costs were solely linked to her dogs instead of others. However she presented “no evidence to suggest that this was in fact the case,” according to what they determined.
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Investigator Reports Dogs Were ‘Distressed’
The group of dogs included a Maltese, a Shih Tzu, and a German shepherd. Some were infested with fleas and had fur matted with feces, according to what was shared at the tribunal. They showed various signs of distress and some were pregnant. After removing most of the dogs but suspecting there were more hidden away, investigators returned. They found one dog “hidden behind a bathtub within a wall cavity.” This dog was also taken from the home as per the decision. The province spent $213 transporting these dogs to shelters, kennels, and veterinary clinics as noted in their ruling. Additionally, it incurred over $58,000 for daily care including food, water, sheltering them, cleaning up after them and monitoring their health for about six weeks. For veterinary services alone, over $48,000 was spent by the province. Many of these underweight dogs received treatment for internal parasites as well as dental work while also getting vaccinated as mentioned in their findings. An extra $2,000 went toward grooming their matted fur to help ease their suffering. WATCH | Ontario city grapples with impacts of puppy breeding during COVID:
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Pet Save Sudbury director Jill Pessot says dog owners need to spay and neuter their pets to prevent more animals from ending up in shelters.
The board concluded that total costs – which came to over $108,000 – were reasonable and necessary. The province adjusted Vernigorova’s responsibility down to $101,000.
She appealed this amount and provided testimony at her hearing in November where she questioned how officials could verify that these costs were solely linked to her dogs instead of others. However she presented “no evidence to suggest that this was in fact the case,” according to what they determined.
Woman Claims Unemployment & Debt Issues
Vernigorova explained during her hearing that she is currently unemployed has “significant unsecured debt” while being solely responsible for caring for her son who is on the Autism spectrum. She mentioned also struggling with depression issues herself. Prior to having her dogs taken away she claimed spending over $3,000 monthly just on food but said she couldn’t afford spaying or neutering them leading to what she termed “uncontrolled breeding,” based on what they recorded. Nevertheless she didn’t seek help or try rehoming any of these pets when things got out of hand. The adjudicator Backstein concluded forcing Vernigorova into paying back all $101k would create an “unrecoverable” debt situation for her family. Yet completely waiving any fees would send an inappropriate message regarding such cases going forward. “This was not an isolated incident or an unforeseeable emergency involving a small number of animals,” reads part of their decision statement. Backstein settled upon requiring Vernigorova accountable through payment amounting at least around$10k. The Ministry of Solicitor General did not respond when asked for comments.Source link
