A 48-year-old woman from Minden Hills, ON, has been convicted of animal cruelty under the Ontario SPCA Act following an investigation that led to the removal of four horses in her care.
On January 4, 2018, Shauna Hie was convicted in a Kawartha Lakes Provincial Offences Court of permitting distress to an animal. She was sentenced to 10-year prohibition on owing or caring for any equine animals and was ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution to the Ontario SPCA.
On March 2, 2017, Ontario SPCA officers attended a residence in Minden Hills after receiving a concern about the welfare of horses on the property. Officers observed four horses confined to a small, fenced area without any access to water, hay or other feed. Officers noted that the horses appeared thin and that the hip bones of one horse were clearly visible, protruding from underneath a blanket the horse was wearing.