A Fraser Valley couple has been banned from owning animals for five years for leaving their dog tethered to a tree for hours in subzero temperatures.
Bob and Brandie Ganzeveld pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Criminal Code for failing to properly care for their dogs and a pony on their Upper Prairie Road property.
They were also handed a $300 fine.
The SPCA says the couple left the dogs abandoned inside their house and the horse in the barn after they moved out.
Marcie Moriarty, general manager of cruelty investigations for the B.C. SPCA, told ctvbc.ca the agency is thrilled with the decision.
"They showed a callous disregard for the welfare of their animals," she said.
In a separate case, the SPCA is pushing for a lifetime ban on owning animals for another Chilliwack couple.
Chilliwack residents Peter and Camille Devries were charged with five separate counts of animal cruelty under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Criminal Code last week. The couple was previously convicted of animal cruelty for separate incidents in 2003 and 2005.
The latest raid on their Yale Road East property saw the seizure of 47 fowl, 22 fish, nine birds, six dogs, five horses, three cows and one cat.
Veterinarians said all of the animals were thin or emaciated and suffering from infections and other medical conditions.
