Animal Protection

Home » Convictions and Orders » Thomas Fredrick Smith

Thomas Fredrick Smith

On August 1, 2018 the Alberta SPCA received a complaint that a dog had been castrated by someone who did not have a licence to practice veterinary medicine. An Alberta SPCA Peace Officer attended the home near Bentley where the dog’s owner claimed his dog has been castrated by his neighbour. After investigating, the Alberta SPCA charged Thomas Fredrick Smith with one count under the Animal Protection Act (APA) 2(1.1) of causing an animal to be in distress, and one count under the Veterinary Profession Act (VPA) 2(1) of providing veterinary medicine to an animal without a licence.

On September 18, 2019, Thomas Fredrick Smith pleaded guilty in Red Deer Provincial Court to a charge under the APA of causing an animal to be in distress. The charge under the VPA was withdrawn. Smith was fined $2,500 dollars.

Report Animal in Distress

What happens when you Call?

When you call our Animal Distress Line 1-800-455-9003 we open up a file similar to a police investigation. In order to do so, we need timely, first-hand details to proceed.

What Should you Expect

We open up a file similar to a police investigation. In order to do so, we need timely, first-hand details to proceed. When calling, we will ask for a few simple questions.

When Do We Seize Animals

Alberta SPCA Peace Officers sometimes need to take animals into protective custody. When they do so, the officers will post a notice at the former location of the animals stating the reason for the seizure.

Investigating Neglect & Abuse

Our Peace Officers investigate every complaint we receive. We can only investigate if we have reasonable and probable grounds to believe there may have been an offence under the Animal Protection Act.

To hear the latest from Alberta SPCA, subscribe to our newsletter.

1-800-455-9003