A Calgary woman has been fined $7,000 for abusing dogs she acquired for free on Kijiji, neglecting them while turning a profit reselling them online.
Ashley Onen has also been banned from owning animals, other than those she already owns as pets, for 10 years.
According to a press release from the Calgary Humane Society, Onen was using aliases online to get puppies for free on Kijiji. The dogs were allegedly neglected while in her care, before she resold them online.
In 2011, Onen was charged after someone brought a dog named S'mores to the humane society.
The Calgary Sun reports a vet found the dog “was malnourished or perhaps starved for the entire duration of his three months with the accused,” the agreed facts stated.
A search warrant lead investigators to her home, where four more small dogs were found in various stages of neglect.
According to the Calgary Herald, Onen pleaded guilty in January 2013 to the charge of causing or permitting distress to an animal, under the Animal Protection Act.
The fine is the largest the animal agency has obtained in court for a conviction and reflects the commercial aspect of the offence, says the humane society.
“This was a unique case in that the offence was motivated by profit,” Brad Nichols, manger of cruelty investigations, said in a statement Thursday.
“The 10-year ban will put an end to her unethical revenue stream."
All the injured dogs have fully recovered, reports the Calgary Sun, and S'mores has been adopted by a humane society employee and is living his new life under the name Rufus.
With files from the Canadian Press
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