Woman found after animals found in ‘deplorable’ conditions

Animal safety investigators and a veterinarian called by police to a Wilsonville home last year found dogs, cats, horses and a pig trapped in deplorable conditions.

Almost 40 animals at the farm property were living in extreme filth with no water or food.

“Overall, the conditions were deplorable,” said Dr. Emily Zakrajsek in a letter to the Provincial Animal Welfare Service (PAWS).

“By far, the worst I’ve ever seen.”

According to evidence filed with the Ontario Court, the veterinarian was moved to tears by what she saw.

Zakrajsek said the entire property was unfit for animals with “an extreme lack of basic care needs such as food, potable water, clean living areas.” She advocated removing all the animals immediately.

The situation came to light after a driver saw two horses in a ditch on Norfolk County Road 19 East on May 1 last year. The man saw a fence was broken and tried to find an owner on the property but, after seeing the conditions around the farmhouse, called police, saying the place seemed abandoned.

Arriving on the scene and peering into the home, a police officer could see multiple dogs and cats in the filthy residence and rusted kennels, covered in cobwebs, that were stacked on top of each other with dogs locked inside.

The floors were covered in feces and an investigator could hear dogs crying from the basement.

There was an unbearable smell of ammonia around the house.

When ministry animal welfare investigator Ryan Sparks arrived, he performed a “critical distress entry” to the home, wearing a breathing apparatus that still couldn’t disguise the smell, and carrying a safety monitoring device that that alerted him to dangerous levels of ammonia so constantly that he eventually shut it off.

In one room, Sparks said there was six inches of excrement on the floor, making walking hazardous and, in a nearby pig barn, he estimated three to five feet of manure was hardened on every floor surface, along with a long-dead sheep.

Hundreds of plastic water bottles were also found as the property had no running water.

According to an agreed statement of fact filed with the court, a neighbor came over to vouch for the owner, saying she would “never neglect” her animals but admitting that he had never been inside the house.

Over the course of about nine hours, police and firefighters removed 27 dogs, five cats, three horses – one a miniature horse — two donkeys, one pig and a guinea pig from the home.

At least one border collie-type dog was in such poor condition it didn’t appear able to stand and several cats were found with discharge coming from their eyes.

After the animals had been removed, firefighters came to inspect the home and a trap was left for at least one other cat that was hiding.

Jackie Parkin, 64, was initially charged with causing unnecessary pain and suffering to an animal but that charge was amended to permitting an animal to be in distress.

Earlier this month in Simcoe’s Ontario Court, Parkin pleaded guilty and Justice Robert Gee fined her $5,000 plus a $1,250 surcharge, giving her one year to pay.

Gee also placed Parkin under a life-long order with extensive terms requiring her to not have any more than two dogs unless approved by PAWS,

She also has to notify PAWS about where she’s living, let inspectors onto her property, get regular veterinarian care for her animals and report any emergencies vet calls within 24 hours.

Parkin, who has an online presence as a dog trainer, must only work with other people’s animals if their owner is present.

During her sentencing hearing, the court was told Parkin has entered into a civil agreement with PAWS to pay thousands of dollars in costs that were incurred by her animals for care after they were seized.

It is not known if any, or how many of the animals taken from Parkin’s property had to be euthanized.

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