Hobby farmer convicted of animal cruelty claims most animals weren't his
A hobby farmer convicted of animal cruelty says he won't argue with the judge's decision.
But Lawrence Wall also said most of the animals found at his Kings County farm weren't even his.
On Thursday, Wall, who owns a farm in Kars, was sentenced to two years of probation and a $1,000 fine.
"The judge did what he had to do," said Wall, 51. "He found me guilty on the evidence in front of him. I won't argue with that."
After the New Brunswick SPCA searched his property on Feb. 6, 2015, Wall was charged with not providing adequate care to three turkeys, three sheep, three goats, three horses, a cow, a pig and a pony.
The organization found that no drinkable water was available for the animals, and hay was out of reach.
It also found a dead chicken and duck in a barn.
Wall said the only animal on the farm that was his was the pony.
Fines for animal cruelty charges can range from $500 to $200,000.
The Crown pushed for Judge Andrew LeMesurier to prohibit Wall from owning animals in the future.
Claimed animals weren't his
But Wall said most of the animals on the farm were brought there by other people.
"People drop animals off on that farm all the time," he said. "Not just farm animals.
"I left my farm with 10 chickens on the farm. I came back to 40."
He also said he didn't use the part of the barn the dead animals were found in.
"If I knew there was a duck and a chicken that flew up there, well, I'm not going to just let them die," he said.
Animals were registered
Wall said he's frustrated because the animals were tagged and registered, making it easy to look up the true ownership.
But LeMesurier said Wall had to take responsibility for the animals.
"Owning animals is a big responsibility," the judge said. "They can't talk."
When asked outside the courthouse why he didn't tell the court who the animals belonged to, Wall said he's "not a snitch."
"I'm not going to bury other people."
Wall said he's now installed security cameras and fences to prevent other animal owners from dropping off their livestock.
He added that his first lawyer, whom he dismissed, suggested he not speak during the trial.
The lawyer worried he'd be convicted of perjury if he didn't speak truthfully about who owned the animals, Wall said.
Regrets losing temper
In his closing remarks in court, Wall admitted one of his biggest mistakes was losing his temper when the New Brunswick SPCA investigators were on his property.
"That was my problem," he said. "If I had been calm, cool and collected, I don't think this would have went this far."
LeMesurier said he considered it mitigating factors that Wall had no prior convictions relating to animal cruelty, and that nothing has happened since the SPCA visited his property in 2015.
Walls said he's not looking to repeal the verdict and also considers selling his farm and getting out of the business.
