A man and woman from Sturgeon Falls are forbidden from owning or caring for any animals for the next 10 years after a court found them guilty of animal welfare laws.
In addition, 31-year-old Jason Aubertin and 22-year-old Nicole Badgley have each been fined $1,000.
A judge found the pair guilty of failing to comply with an Ontario SPCA order in addition to two counts each of permitting an animal to be in distress, failing to provide adequate and appropriate medical attention and failing to provide necessary care for their general welfare.
Badgley and Aubertin were already under an Ontario SPCA order to have their animals examined by a veterinarian.
When they failed to comply with those orders, an Ontario SPCA officer with the North Bay and District Humane Society entered their property with a search warrant on August 24th, 2017.
Inside the home were two dogs and two cats who were suffering from wounds due to chronic scratching.
All four also had suffered hair loss.
The animals were removed and a veterinarian treated them for fleas.
The veterinarian also found parasites and ear infections in one of the dogs, a black Shepherd-type mix, and treated the pooch for both conditions.
In issuing the news release about the court verdict, the humane society is telling pet owners that if they find they cannot care for their pets, to contact the organization or an animal centre for help.
The society says its goal is to ensure people with pets provide the appropriate care for their animals.
