Doug Morningstar Enters Guilty Plea for Humane Transport Violations

Brandon, Manitoba, October 28, 2011: On July 14, 2011, in Manitoba Provincial Court, Mr. Doug Morningstar pled guilty to one count of violating Section 138 (2)(a) of the Health of Animals Regulations.

The Honourable Judge Combs accepted a jointly recommended sentence of a $1,500 fine which was paid on the day of the sentencing.

Section 138 (2) of the Health of Animals Regulations states:

Subject to subsection (3), no person shall load or cause to be loaded on any railway car, motor vehicle, aircraft or vessel and no one shall transport or cause to be transported an animal:

(a) that by reason of infirmity, illness, injury, fatigue or any other cause cannot be transported without undue suffering during the expected journey.

A Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) investigation determined that Mr. Morningstar had loaded and transported an animal, namely a bovine with an open fracture on its leg, in a motor vehicle, which by reason of the injury caused undue suffering to the animal during the journey.

The CFIA enforces federal legislation including the Health of Animals Act and its Regulations. The CFIA safeguards food, animals and plants which enhances the health and well-being of Canada's people, environment and economy, and access to international markets.

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