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SPCA closes case on dead dogs in Gilpin

The investigation into what happened to two dogs found dead in Gilpin Grasslands Provincial Park has been closed.

The case had been passed from Grand Forks RCMP, where the original report had been filed, to the SPCA in Trail. SPCA Special Cst. Jeremy Irons from Cranbrook said that because there hasn’t been a complaint from the dogs’ owner, there is little chance of finding any more information.

Irons is the only uniformed constable of the SPCA for the East and West Kootenays, which obviously stretches him thin.

He said he reviewed the call, spoke to the Trail SPCA as well as the Grand Forks RCMP, spoke with the complainant and reviewed photographs taken by the complainant.

“I understand one was shot; the second one, the cause is undetermined,” Irons said.

“We can’t identify who might have been the owner, therefore we have no idea what the circumstances were for the death of the animals.”

He said that it’s not against the law to kill an animal under certain circumstances.

“In terms of how did these animals die, we can’t rule out foul play, but we’ve got nowhere to go with the file,” he said.

”Even if we thought ‘they threw them off the hill because of foul play’ where do we go? We have two dead animals, no owner, no information to pursue the file on.”

Irons said that because the SPCA is publicly funded, they have to be cost effective.

“The funding just isn’t there behind our investigations,” he said.

”We have to go with the best information we have, which in this case is little or nothing.”

Irons said that he did see what might be fowl bird feathers on one of the dogs in the photo, suggesting someone protecting their fowl may have killed them.

Irons said that if someone were to contact them saying they were the owner, the SPCA would then re-examine the case and look at the circumstances.

The case stems from an incident that was reported on March 7 when Grand Forks RCMP received a report of the two dogs found dead up the Gilpin forest service road.