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Elrose woman fined after pleading guilty under Animal Protection Act

Feb 15, 2013 | 5:34 AM

Bre McAdam

paNOW Staff

A woman who runs an animal shelter out of her home in Elrose will now be regularly inspected for the next two years after pleading guilty to a charge under the Animal Protection Act during her trial in Saskatoon Provincial Court Thursday.

Dolores Laplante, who has a background as an animal health technician, admitted to putting her animals in distress as a result of the messy condition of her shelter. Her animal neglect charge under the criminal code was stayed.

In 2011, the SPCA seized more than 60 cats, seven turtles, a dog and an iguana from her home after receiving complaints about unsanitary conditions.

However, Laplante told the court her animals were not deprived of food, water or medical attention. She stressed that the guilty plea only reflects that her home wasn't always up kept.

“Because I live alone and my place is for fostering animals, it's not a pet store and I don't let people in, I perhaps got complacent,” Laplante said outside the courthouse.

The judge fined her $250 and implemented a mandatory inspection order for two years by both animal protection and the RCMP. He did not ban Laplante from owning animals, calling her an “animal lover” who failed to meet the adequate standard of care at the time of the seizure.

Laplante told the court she was happy that a third party would be involved in the inspections, admitting that her relationship with the SPCA is tense.

Although she is legally allowed to continue fostering animals, Laplante believes it will take a while to rebuild the reputation of her shelter.

“When the SPCA breaks into someone's home, there's this natural assumption that they had good cause and therefore you're an animal abuser and bad person,” she said.

Laplante said she felt “violated” after the seizure and is afraid her animals will be taken if she leaves her home.

“I have developed agoraphobia, and I'm working in on it,” Laplante said, choking back tears. “But for the most part I'm a prisoner in my home.”

Laplante said that one of the complainants told the SPCA that she had been sneaking onto her property and peeking into her windows when she wasn't home.

Laplante currently has more than 20 cats in her home after the SPCA left 22 animals behind during the seizure in 2011.

Despite it all, Laplante hopes people will continue adopting her animals, even if they don't like her.

“Because that's what I want. It's not that a want these animals in the house, it's just that no one has ever wanted to take them, so what is the option for them?”

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