On November 12, 2025, in provincial court in Vernon, Sandra Nickolls entered a guilty plea to causing animals to be in distress, contrary to section 24(1) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA).
In April 2024, the BC SPCA was called to investigate what appeared to be an injured horse on a property near Armstrong. The responding animal protection officer discovered three horses in concerning condition, with the injured horse deemed to be in critical distress.
All three horses had dramatically overgrown hooves causing mobility issues. This was further exacerbated by the conditions of their shared shelter, which had piles of built-up feces so high the horses were forced to climb over them to enter and exit the shelter. The water available to the horses was unsanitary, and the horses were observed eating hay from the feces-covered ground.
The elderly horse deemed to be in critical distress was 26 years old, underweight, and had a severe and untreated leg injury. Her leg was swollen with a bleeding protrusion, and she had sores on her hindquarters. Due to the significant suffering, the attending veterinarian recommended humane euthanasia onsite to alleviate the distress.
The other two horses, also observed to be in poor condition, were seized from the property and transferred to a foster farm with the hopes of making a recovery. Unfortunately, despite the incredible efforts of the foster, neither horse’s condition improved. Both horses were euthanized at the recommendation of a local veterinarian due to their poor prognosis.
The BC SPCA does not euthanize healthy animals. Many considerations help determine an animal’s care plan, including quality of life and treatability. All medically and behaviourally healthy animals are placed in the best suited adoptive homes with caring guardians.
Following her guilty plea, Nickolls received a sentence of 12 months’ probation, 40 hours of community service, and a 15-year prohibition from owning, having custody of, or residing with any animals with the exception of one spayed or neutered cat. She must permit the BC SPCA to inspect her residence to ensure compliance with this term.
