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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Man faces 44 counts of animal abuse
Dogs, horses, donkeys seized from farm
A Swan River man facing animal abuse charges laid this week had been allowed to keep his animals despite previous charges laid in connection to an alleged puppy mill.
On Tuesday, six days after his arrest, 68-year-old Walter Goba was formally charged with 44 counts of animal abuse stemming from the Dec. 1 seizure of 27 dogs, 15 horses and two donkeys on his farm in the RM of Swan River.
Tipsters wanted
For years, frustrated RM of Swan River residents made dozens of complaints to the province about alleged animal abuse on a nearby farm, complaints, they say, that were met with inaction.
Now, Bonnie Riddell wants to know what other communities tell a similar tale.
Riddell, an animal control officer for the RM of St. Andrews, is collecting reports from Manitobans who complained about suspected animal abuse cases in their communities, but were disappointed in the provincial response.
She hopes that assembling a record of complaints will pave the way for legislation that would allow animal control officers to seize animals in danger.
Tipsters are urged to contact Riddell through Papa's Ranch Equine Rescue, at www.papasranch.ca. The reports will be published anonymously on a Facebook group dedicated to identifying alleged cases of animal abuse in Manitoba.
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For years, Swan River residents said, they reported concerns about the farm's treatment of animals to the provincial veterinarian's office, the main provincial body charged with monitoring animal welfare.
Last year, the complaints triggered an investigation which led to Goba being charged with three non-criminal breaches, including running an unlicensed kennel, breeding without a licence, and keeping animals in a dangerous facility. Pictures taken at the time showed horses stranded amidst seven-foot piles of manure.
The case was scheduled to go to trial in June. The current status of the charges was unclear on Wednesday, but it is believed the trial was delayed.
In January, Goba told the Swan Valley Star and Times that the charges were "all a bunch of bull. As far as I'm concerned they're going to be thrown out of court."
Despite the allegations and a mountain of formal complaints made about his German Shepherd and horse breeding operation, Goba was able to keep his animals.
Provincial authorities were apparently unaware of how bad conditions on the farm had become until last Wednesday, when Swan River animal control officer Jeff Blythe was finally granted access to the property by a new owner.
There, Blythe and a team of volunteers discovered animals confined to a livestock trailer and a filthy, dark barn, clinging to life despite little food and water. Some were suffering from grotesque injuries, while the horses and donkeys had hooves so overgrown, they curled upwards like shovels.
Blyth, who had been calling for an investigation into Goba's operation since 2008, immediately alerted RCMP and provincial authorities. Goba was arrested that day.
"It was a pretty horrible situation," Blythe recalled, crediting his team of farmers and animal-welfare advocates. "It was neighbours and friends that were in there all day in this environment, and the smell, trying to save these animals. It was pretty remarkable."
A spokeswoman for the province said that the chief veterinarian's office could not comment on the case while it is before the courts.
The seized animals are now being fostered by Swan River residents, with support from the Swan Valley Animal Protection League.
melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 9, 2010 A5
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