Man hopes to open kennel despite cruelty charges
Breeder near Vulcan applies for permit that would allow 200 dogs on premises
Despite facing animal cruelty charges and being a source of canine parvovirus, a southern Alberta man is seeking a permit to operate a dog breeding kennel.
Tyler Marshall applied earlier this month to Vulcan County for a permit to hold 200 dogs and 50 puppies per week at a farm south of Calgary.
Last April, Alberta SPCA officers seized 204 animals, including 131 dogs, from the site and charged Marshall with causing or allowing an animal to be in distress and failing to provide proper care for injured or ill animals, said SPCA spokesman Roland Lines.
“The property identified is the same property we seized a large number of animals on April 24,” said Lines, adding some of them were taken to the Calgary Humane Society.
“Unfortunately, some of the dogs at the Calgary Humane Society did develop parvo.”
The virus led the Calgary Humane Society to temporarily shut down parts of its operation and disinfect affected areas.
Marshall’s first court appearance is June 26.
Lines said he couldn’t comment on the application now before Vulcan County. but noted Marshall has continued to breed dogs at the location since April.
“He is and he’s able to ... the application is outside our scope,” he said.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of scrutiny around his application.”
But the Alberta SPCA has been locked in a dispute with Marshall over the confiscated animals.
Marshall, said Lines, has launched a civil action to prevent the ASPCA from adopting out the animals, something normally done after 10 days.
That’s cost the Calgary Humane Society and the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society $300,000 to care for them, a tab billed to the ASPCA, he said.
An independent assessment of Marshall’s property prompted by a consent order specifies how many animals can be kept at the site northeast of the town of Vulcan, said Lines, who wouldn’t give an exact number.
“It’ll definitely be less than the number of animals we seized,” he said, calling the consent order an unprecedented step in Alberta.
But it’s unclear how or if those limits would affect Marshall’s current permit application, added Lines.
Marshall couldn’t be reached for comment but, in his application, he said his facility is frequently vetted.
“A licensed veterinarian inspects my facilities regularly; a recent report has been provided,” he states.
“All of my runs are equipped with automatic water lines and automatic feeders. The dogs all have access indoor and outdoor at their leisure.”
The application goes to the county’s municipal planning commission on Wednesday morning for possible approval.
If it’s granted, the commission could tailor it in light of the charges facing Marshall, said Vulcan County chief administrative officer Nels Petersen.
“Their rulings should be able to condition multiple items on their permits to help assist in the welfare of animals,” he said.
One of the those conditions could be to more strictly limit the number of animals allowed, he said.
Lines, whose agency hasn’t inspected Marshall’s property since the April action, said it could easily take a year for the animal cruelty case against him to works its way through court.