The Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan says, in its 2021-22 annual report that the four-year average for cases is 697. That encompasses 2017 to 2021.

The Executive Director says they opened 941 files last year and in 370 instances they had to take action. Over 200 of the files where they had to take action were resolved by education and compliance.

Don Ferguson says where they see the most seizures in terms of number of animals is cattle. And he suggests that it is tied to the weather with drought like conditions for the past couple of years.

“A lot of it boils down to sufficient quantity and quality of feed. But there’s generally not just a single cause, there’s usually multiple things that are involved. When you haven’t done the planning to have sufficient feed for your animals there’s likely other areas of your (animal) husbandry you’re neglecting.”

Last month APSS seized 15 horses in two separate seizures. The horses spent a month in the care of APSS and were then auctioned off. Ferguson says he understand they were to become companion animals.