A warrant for the arrest of a former Swift Current resident with a history of animal abuse allegations was issued on May 2 out of Duncan Provincial Courthouse.
Tanisha Kendall (Perrault) and Rhees Kendall were first visited by BCSPCA on Aug. 2, 2023, and are each facing nine charges of animal cruelty out of Ladysmith, B.C. and a hefty fine of over $89,000.
On Oct. 31, 2023, 177 animals were seized from their care, including dogs, cats, goats, chickens, quail, ducks, snakes and rats.
Also, between Oct. 31, 2023, and Nov. 14, 2023, Tanisha and Rhees made four surrenders amounting to 46 animals being handed over to the BCSPCA, including dogs, cats, and chickens.
From August to October of last year, complaints against the Kendalls continued flowing into the BCSPCA Animal Helpline, with people reporting concerns such as that animals were not regularly fed, were underweight, and were left unattended for long periods of time.
Complainants also noted that there were barking dogs, sick animals, animals at large, and deceased animals on the rental property in Ladysmith.
In January of this year, the BC Farm Industry Review Board confirmed that returning the animals (apart from two snakes) to the Kendalls would not be in the best interest of the animals, and that instead it would put the animals back into a situation that would cause distress and further suffering.
The board also decided that Tanisha and Rhees are liable to the BCSPCA of $88,234.82 for costs incurred by the Society for the care of the animals.
Swift Current Online reached out to Tanisha and Rhees on Dec. 6, 2023, and the pair have denied all allegations of animal abuse:
"This has upended our lives, our daughter is afraid to come home because she fears what will happen if the "scarey BCSPCA people" comes back," they wrote in an email response. "Years of work and care has gone into the animals that we had, it's incredibly unjust for the BCSPCA to be able to come and take whatever they want for whatever reason even, if it's not justified or fair to the animals.
"They took animals and pets that have been with us for multiple years without any issues whatsoever. We love all our animals and do everything we can to put them first despite all the untrue and unfounded rumors people have spread online."
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