Two elderly sisters from outside Perth-Andover found guilty in animal hoarding case

Two elderly sisters from Tilley, New Brunswick have been charged with failure to provide adequate food, shelter and veterinary care over a year after one of the largest animal seizures in New Brunswick's history.

Sandra and Beverly Tomalin of Tilley head towards the Grand Falls court house to appear in court for their trial for animal neglect. (Canada East News Service Photo)

Sandra and Beverly Tomalin, ages 68 and 71 respectively, have been charged in connection to this case of animal neglect after 38 horses were seized from their Tilley hobby farm in July of 2010. Evidence states that the horses on the Tomalin property had a scarce amount of grazing grass, water and food, and that there appeared to be no veterinary care available to the horses. Both sisters pleaded not guilty. 

The women were sentenced to a 10-year ban on owning any animals when they appeared in Grand Falls provincial court, and they also received significant fines. Sandra Tomalin was fined $1,000 plus a $200 surcharge, and Beverly Tomalin was fined $500 along with a $100 surcharge. Under the New Brunswick Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, they could have been fined between $500 and $200,000 and sentenced to 18 months in jail. 

Aside from a lack of grass, food, water and veterinary care, the horses were in poor physical condition. Several were described as underweight and covered in scars when removed from the Tomalin's farm. An aborted foal and dead horse, partially buried, were also discovered on the 58-hectare farm the week prior to the seizure. 

Ironically enough, Sandra and Beverly Tomalin moved to New Brunswick shortly after being banned from owning dogs in Ontario. This was a result of the removal of 100 dogs and one cat from their Owen Sound, Ontario home in late 2008. 


Source: Telegraph Journal http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/actualites/article/1440665