Man receives fine and peace bond for animal cruelty charge involving a horse

A man received a $1,500 fine and a year-long peace bond prohibiting him from training or physically disciplining an animal, after pleading guilty to an animal cruelty charge.

Lawrence Ziegler pled down Wednesday to the lesser charge of causing an animal distress, as part of a joint submission between defence and Crown at the Medicine Hat Courthouse. Ziegler was originally charged with causing unnecessary suffering to an animal following a complaint made to Medicine Hat police in October over his treatment of a horse at a local feed lot.

According to the agreed statement of facts read into the record Wednesday, a woman across the street from the Medicine Hat Feeding Company observed a man hitting a horse on the head, ribs and legs with a small stick on Oct. 17, 2016. The man was then observed moving the horse into a pen, and continuing to hit it. The woman contacted the company to report the behaviour, and the company told the man to cease doing this.

The next day, the woman observed the same man tying the horse to a container in a way that prevented the horse from moving. She once again reported him to the company, and they ordered him to stop this. The woman observed that the horse was moved further away to a more hidden spot on the lot. The next day she was unable to see the horse, so contacted police with her concerns.

Police identified Ziegler as the person involved with the incidents. Upon inspecting the horse, there were visible marks on its side and ribcage, and a large swollen area on the other side. The horse was lethargic, and held its head down when being inspected by police.

Ziegler co-operated with police, telling them that he had been in the process of breaking in the horse and that he had “gotten carried away and was heavy-handed while spurred.”

The animal was treated by a veterinarian, who confirmed that some — although possibly not all — of the injuries were caused by Ziegler.

The horse is no longer in Ziegler’s care, and was expected to fully recover from its injuries.

Ziegler was raised on a farm and ranch since a child, said defence counsel Lyndon Heidinger. Ziegler has no prior record, and has never been before the court on similar charges, said Heidinger, suggesting that this is an “isolated incident.” As well, Heidinger said Ziegler was taking responsibility for his actions by entering the guilty plea.

“I think at the end of the day, the sentence is crafted to allow him to work, and that his knowledge and skillset can be put to use,” said Heidinger.

A sentence for the harming of animals often includes conditions that the person not be allowed animal ownership for a year, explained the Crown prosecutor while laying out in court the reasoning behind the joint submission.

Ziegler no longer works with horses, but has secured a job transporting animals, said the Crown, so the conditions laid out will not put him in a position where he will breach his sentence, while also showing his actions cannot be tolerated.