The owner of Sea to Sky Stables is considering legal action after widespread allegations of animal abuse were determined to be unfounded by the SPCA on Monday (Nov. 23).
Mike McKinney said the allegations, which were distributed by an environmental activist to local and national media and aired on local radio, harmed his business and reputation.
"The damage is done," he said. "I'm being slandered here. It's all fabricated. I take such pride in my horses, it just tears me apart."
Local resident Lucy Hulse and a small group of anonymous sources reported to the SPCA their concerns over horse neglect, which they said caused horse to die of starvation and to be left unsheltered and uncovered in winter weather. She said the report was also based on her own experiences at the Paradise Valley horseback riding ranch.
Hulse's report led to local SPCA manager Marika Donnelly investigating Sea to Sky Stables with RCMP on Monday. Donnelly determined there was no immediate threat to the approximately 30 horses, although the muddy grounds should be cleaned up, according to senior animal protection officer Eileen Drever.
"At this time of the year in the Lower Mainland it's really difficult to ensure your animals have access to dry land. However, we have written an order to that effect to clean the mud out of the corrals," said Drever.
However the SPCA's conclusions were determined only after Hulse's acquaintance Brian Vincent, known for his work with the environmental organization Big Wildlife, distributed a press release describing the animals' horrid living conditions and quoting Hulse.
It also stated that McKinney intended to sell some of his horses for meat slaughter, quoting Hulse as saying, "They deserve better than to be neglected and then discarded like trash simply to make a couple of hundred dollars from the 'meat man.'"
After confirming the SPCA was planning to investigate, Mountain FM read pieces of the release over the early morning newscast on Monday before the investigation was complete.
Hulse is now saying she was misquoted.
She said she was listening to the radio when parts of the release were read on air, and was "mortified" by the way the information was presented.
"All I wanted was the proper authorities to do their jobs. I'm incredibly upset about the way things came out," she said.
Vincent refused to speak on the record and would not confirm whether or not he wrote the release.
The SPCA will continue to monitor the situation and are encouraging local residents to continue reporting concerns regarding animal abuse.
"We do welcome the public to call us if there's any concern," said Drever.
