Animal cruelty charges laid against humane society staffer

Charges have been laid against an Edmonton Humane Society employee after three cats in the group’s care were left in a transport vehicle for 22 days earlier this year.

“The Edmonton Humane Society takes these charges very seriously and we are committed to learning and growing from this incident to ensure it never happens again,” board chairwoman Summer Bradko said in a release Thursday.

According to information previously released, animals were brought to the Edmonton shelter from another agency on March 27, but three cats were overlooked when the vehicle was unloaded.

They were not discovered until April 18 when staff were preparing for another animal transfer.

The cats survived and have since been adopted to families in southern Alberta.

The staff member, who has been reassigned to administrative duties until a verdict is reached, is charged with causing or permitting animals to be in distress and with failing to provide adequate food and water to animals.

This is the first time an employee has faced offences under the Animal Protection Act, the organization said.

The staff member is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 23.

An independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is expected to conclude soon.

“We’ve committed to sharing the findings with the public, media and other animal welfare organizations across the country to ensure our mistakes aren’t repeated,” Bradko said.