Rancher banned from owning livestock faces new animal cruelty charges

A rancher is facing charges, after allegedly neglecting hundreds of horses and cattle on his farm near Drumheller.

RCMP and the Alberta SPCA raided the farm April 18, and found more than 140 horses and 200 cattle in distress.

Twelve cows were already dead and up to four other animals had to be euthanized.
Six more were abandoned on the farm because they were too wild to handle.

Police say they're getting ready to file charges against the rancher, who's been identified by a friend as John Barry Graham.

Cpl. David Heaslip, an RCMP livestock investigator, tells 660News the man faces several criminal charges, including not providing an animal with the necessity of life.

"Everyone who owns livestock, you have to provide the basic needs for them, which would be proper food, water, shelter and medical attention," he says.

Heaslip adds it's not the first time the rancher has been accused of animal cruetly; almost a decade ago he was banned from owning livestock for similar offences.

"He has a history of being charged previously under the animal protection act," he says. "There was a prohibition order against him owning and possessing livestock."

Heaslip says the conditions at the ranch were appalling.

"It was in disrepair," Heaslip says. "There was no good area where you would want to work cattle or livestock in, like you know, pens, catch-pens, separating pens and things like that. There were areas where the grass from last year was decent, very, very few areas. Most of the grass has been eaten right down to nothing. There was no food available."

He says the animals only had water because some snow had melted into catch basins.

Heaslip says many of the cows were malnourished, but some of the horses were in especially bad condition.

"The horses were in a lot worse visible condition," he says. "They were very, very difficult to handle. They were wild."

The animals that were seized are now being cared for by a veterinarian in Brooks.

Heaslip says the six horses left behind on the farm are "on the wild side" and says if anyone in Drumheller sees any strays, they should call the RCMP.