The owner of two horses who were rescued off a B.C. mountainside has been charged with three counts of animal cruelty.
Frank McKay, an Edmonton lawyer, is accused of abandoning the animals just before Christmas near the town of McBride, B.C., where snowmobilers found them trapped in the snow.
The horses, Sundance and Belle, were rescued by volunteers that started digging a one-kilometre trench that took a week to open up a pathway before the horses could be rescued on Dec. 23.
Shawn Eccles, the SPCA's chief animal protection officer, said Tuesday the animals suffered from malnutrition and various health issues after being exposed to freezing temperatures.
"We placed the horses in temporary foster care were they received ongoing veterinary care until they were ready to be adopted," Eccles said.
The horses have now been placed in permanent homes by the B.C. SPCA, one horse in Prince George, and the other in Kamloops.
McKay will make his first court appearance in McBride on June 22.
With files from the Canadian Press
