Following a case of severe animal cruelty involving the deaths of 12 horses, N.B. resident Charlotte Bright has been issued a lifetime ban on owning animals and has been ordered to pay nearly $8,000 in restitution. As she had pleaded guilty to three animal welfare charges under the Criminal Code of Canada, Bright’s prohibition from owning animals will be enforceable nationwide.

According to Global News Canada, New Brunswick SPCA (NSPCA) officers responded to a farm associated with Bright in Currieburg, N.B.

“Upon searching the property, the officers discovered five underweight horses without access to fresh hay or source of water, 12 dead horses and an aborted fetus in varying states of decomposition, and a barn that was in disrepair,” the NBSPCA said. “The NBSPCA was assisted by provincial veterinarians who confirmed the (live) horses were emaciated and dehydrated, and numerous violations of the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Equines were also identified.”

In sentencing delivered at the Court of King’s Bench in Burton, N.B., Bright received additional penalties. These included a 24-month conditional sentence order, a 12-month probationary period, and the restitution payment to the NBSPCA. “As an additional condition, animal protection officers are authorized to conduct unannounced visits to her premises,” the NBSPCA explained. The live horses rescued from the property have since been placed in foster care, while cats found on-site were relocated to shelters and cat rescue organizations for adoption.