Melfort Provincial Court (File photo/northeastNOW Staff).

By Aaron Schulze

Cattle in Distress

Local farmer given 10-year prohibition from owning cattle

Jun 26, 2019 | 3:37 PM

A Porcupine Plain farmer will pay a $7,000 fine and is prohibited from possessing cattle for the next 10 years after he was convicted of causing distress to his cattle.

Judge Inez Cardinal completed her sentencing of Alex Potoreyko after he was convicted last week of causing unnecessary pain and suffering to his cattle under the Criminal Code, and for not taking reasonable measures to relieve the animals of distress under Saskatchewan’s Animal Protection Act. Potoreyko wasn’t present for the first part of his sentencing on June 19 due to health concerns.

Potoreyko’s 10-year prohibition includes owning, possessing, or having custody and control of cattle. He’ll have until Nov. 15, 2019 to dispose of or sell any cattle he owns, or he must forfeit them to the provincial government.

The verdict comes after Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan recommended charges against Potereyko to the RCMP in 2017 after they received complaints of him not trimming his cattle’s hooves.

Cardinal said in her decision that Potoreyko was given specific directions from animal protection officers and Dr. Victor Kernaleguen – a veterinarian in Melfort – to trim his cattle’s overgrown horns and hooves within two weeks after they noted six animals in distress in May 2017.

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While Cardinal noted that animal protection officers and Kernaleguen weren’t concerned about all of Potoreyko’s cattle, they found the overgrown hooves and horns were continuing issues as he didn’t follow through instructions and had more animals in distress when they returned in August 2017.

“You can sell those cattle to anybody you want,” Cardinal told Potoreyko. “That’s going to give you the opportunity to not have to go out there to look after them.”

Potoreyko still faces four charges before the court and is scheduled to reappear in Melfort on Dec. 3, although Crown Prosecutor Jennifer Souter told Cardinal they would drop the charges if he complies with the prohibition.

Potoreyko said he intends on taking the ruling to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan.

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow