A woman in Hamilton had almost 60 dogs taken from her residence by the authorities last summer, and has been instructed by a tribunal to pay a reduced sum of $10,000 towards the $101,000 in expenses for their care. The Ontario Animal Care Review Board rendered this decision after Alina Vernigorova contested the original six-figure bill.
Following complaints from neighbors and the police, animal welfare investigators visited Vernigorova’s Stoney Creek home in July. Inside, they discovered 58 dogs, predominantly miniature poodles, living in unsanitary conditions without enough food or water. The property was described as being covered in feces and soaked in urine.
The dogs, which included a Maltese, a Shih Tzu, and a German shepherd among others, were found in distress, with some being pregnant and having fur matted with feces and infested with fleas. Investigators also uncovered a dog hidden behind a bathtub within a wall cavity during their search.
The province covered costs amounting to over $108,000 for the dogs’ care, which included transportation to rescues, daily care, veterinary services, grooming, and more. Despite Vernigorova challenging the expenses, the board upheld the costs as necessary and reasonable, ultimately reducing her bill to $101,000.
During the hearing, Vernigorova revealed that she is currently unemployed, burdened by significant debt, and is the sole caregiver for her son, who has Autism. She expressed financial struggles in affording basic care for the dogs, leading to uncontrolled breeding due to her inability to spay and neuter them. However, she had not attempted to rehome the dogs or seek assistance programs.
Considering Vernigorova’s financial circumstances, the adjudicator decided that holding her accountable for the full amount would result in insurmountable debt, but entirely waiving the fee would convey an inappropriate message. Therefore, a reduced payment of $10,000 was deemed appropriate to ensure some level of accountability.
The Ministry of the Solicitor General declined to provide a comment on the matter.
