35 yr old Candace Burneau of St. Margaret’s Bay, NS, pled guilty in Halifax court on June 14, 2017 to causing animals to be in distress.  Burneau was charged under section 445.1.1 (a) of the Criminal Code of Canada but pled guilty to a lesser charge under the Animal Protection Act, section 21 (2), permitting an animal to be in distress.

The NS SPCA opened an investigation on Burneau after they received information alleging that she had someone come to her home to dock the tails on a litter of her puppies. Ms. Burneau told the court that she did permit the puppies’ tails to be docked and  that her guilty plea was for being the owner of an animal (puppies) and permitting the animals (puppies) to be in distress and depriving them of adequate medical treatment or veterinary care. Burneau was given one year to pay a fine of $400 and a 15% victim surcharge.

The practice of docking tails of puppies has been banned in Nova Scotia since 2010. Veterinarians are also not permitted to perform the procedure for any cosmetic reason.

Jo-Anne Landsburg, Chief Provincial Inspector of the NS SPCA  stated “It is encouraging to see a conviction of an owner who permitted their puppies tails to be docked and it sends a clear message that not only the person committing the act can be held responsible but the owner also. This case certainly sets a precedent for other tail docking cases in the Province. All reported cases of tail docking are taken very seriously and are thoroughly investigated.”

The NS SPCA operates on a policy of zero tolerance for animal cruelty and sets the standard of animal care for the province of Nova Scotia. The NS SPCA urges you to report acts of animal cruelty by contacting our confidential toll free hotline at: 1-888-703-7722

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Source: Media Release / NS SPCA