CORNWALL, Ont. -- An eastern Ontario man has been found guilty of nine counts of animal cruelty under the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act following an investigation into two dogs confined to a small building.
The OSPCA says it received a call on Oct. 29, 2016 about two dogs locked in a 2.4 metre by 2.4 metre garden shed on a property in Cornwall, Ont.
An officer visited the property and, after unsuccessful attempts to find the owner of the dogs, removed a pug and boxer-type dog living in conditions without food or water.
The shed was cluttered with junk and debris, with feces and urine covering the floor, and the animals were kept in total darkness, with no place to rest or lie down and no fresh air due to the structure's inadequate ventilation.
The SPCA said Tuesday that 24-year-old Brad Stephenson was found guilty on Feb. 22 of one count each of causing distress to an animal and permitting an animal to be in distress, and seven counts of failing to comply with prescribed standards of care.
He received a 10-year prohibition from owning or caring for any animal, and was fined $900. Both dogs have been placed in new homes.
