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Edmonton police have charged a man after hundreds of reptiles and amphibians were found in the response to a southwest Edmonton house fire late last year.
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Just after noon on Nov. 10, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) responded to a fire at a residence in the area of 20 Avenue and 112A Street in the Skyrattler neighborhood during which fire crews found numerous reptiles, many of which were dead. At the time, a City of Edmonton spokesperson said approximately 1,000 reptiles were discovered on site, but in a Tuesday news release, Edmonton Police Service (EPS) said EFRS found close to 700 reptiles and amphibians “that appeared seriously neglected” and many of which had died prior to the fire.
In response, EFRS called Edmonton Animal Care and Control (ACC) as well as EPS’s animal cruelty investigative unit (ACIU) given the number of animals and their condition, police added.
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A statement from ACIU Const. Ilka Cunningham in the release said animal cruelty, while often associated with cats and dogs, includes a broader range of creatures.
“This investigation is a sad reminder of the suffering many exotic reptiles endure at the hands of breeders and importers,” Cunningham said.
The investigation that ensued involved the ACC, ACIU and Environment Canada wildlife officers, police added.
Police have charged John Makaryshyn, 31, with 37 counts of offenses under the animal cruelty section of the Criminal Code, including being the owner of and willfully permitting the cause of unnecessary pain or suffering to an animal, and willfully neglecting or failing to provide suitable and adequate food, water, shelter and care for an animal as the owner or person in control or custody of an animal.
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Makaryshyn has also been charged with 89 counts under the Animal Protection Act of Alberta, including the prohibition against causing an animal that a person owns or controls to continue to be in distress, failing to ensure such an animal has adequate care when it’s wounded or ill , failing to provide it with adequate food and water, failing to provide it with reasonable protection from injurious heat or cold, and failing to provide it with adequate shelter, ventilation or space.
Police ask anyone with information about this incident to call EPS at 780-423-4567 or dial #377 from a mobile phone. Tipsters seeking anonymity can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a tip online at online at www.p3tips.com/250.