A former Swift Current resident and her husband are each facing $10,000 fines in British Columbia after another conviction of harm towards animals.
Tanisha Kendall (Perrault) and Rhees Kendall were convicted in Duncan, BC of an offence of willfully causing or, being the owner, willfully permitting to be caused unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to an animal or a bird.
They each received $10,000 fines and are prohibited for a period of 10 years from owning, breeding, purchasing, selling or having custody or residing in the same premises as any animal or bird, with some exceptions.
Tanisha Kendall was also convicted in Swift Current provincial court last month of one count of permitting an animal to be in distress.
Her Swift Current sentence included a $1,000 fine and a 10-year animal ownership prohibition with exceptions, including being subject to searches of her residence and check-ups with animal protection officers.
These exceptions allowed her to own a limited number of animals and require her to notify animal protection officers if any animals are bought, sold, or require veterinary care.
Kendall also had three other animal cruelty charges stayed in 2018.
The BC case started with a visit from the BCSPCA to the Kendalls' Ladysmith area farm on August 2nd, 2023.
On October 31, 2023, 177 animals were seized from their care, including dogs, cats, goats, chickens, quail, ducks, snakes, and rats.
Between October 31, 2023, and November 14, 2023, The BCSPCA seized 177 animals and had 46 more surrendered to them from the Kendalls' farm.
In January 2024, the BC Farm Industry Review Board ruled that, apart from two snakes, it would not be in the best interest of the animals to return to the care of the Kendalls.
The board also decided Tanisha and Rhees were liable to the BCSPCA for $88,234.82 to cover costs incurred by for the care of the animals.
Swift Current Online received a statement from the Kendalls on December 6th, 2023, denying the animal abuse.
"Years of work and care has gone into the animals that we had," they said in an e-mail at the time. "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."