For the first time ever, a man has been handed jail time for a violation under Nova Scotia’s Animal Protection Act.
On Dec. 11, 2014, the Nova Scotia SPCA received a complaint of a terrible smell coming from an apartment in Lower Sackville, N.S. SPCA officers responded to the unit on Dec. 12.
Nineteen cats were removed from the apartment and taken to the SPCA provincial animal shelter, where six cats had to be euthanized.
The rest were put up for adoption after receiving veterinarian care.
Michael Cairns was charged with confining 19 cats to an enclosure or area with unsanitary conditions, so as to significantly impair the animal’s health. He pleaded guilty to the charge.
On Thursday, Cairns was handed a 30-day remand to the Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth. He also received a lifetime ban on owning any animals and is prohibited from residing in a home where animals are housed.
In addition, Cairns received probation for a period of 12 months and was ordered to pay $2,000 to the Nova Scotia SPCA.
“I am incredibly pleased with the sentence given” said Joanne Landsburg, chief inspector for the Nova Scotia SPCA. “This is the first we have seen jail time given for a violation under Nova Scotia Animal Protection Act.”
Cairns had previously been convicted for similar offences in 2011 where he received an 18-month prohibition from owning animals and was ordered to pay $1,000 to the SPCA, which was never received.