Due to unusual circumstances, the Cariboo Regional Integrated Marijuana Enforcement Taskforce is just now releasing details on a grow operation bust that took place near Williams Lake in late Janaury.
It’s the general policy of the taskforce not to release information on its investigations, says Const. Michael McLaughlin, federal operations media relations officer. But because this investigation netted not only 8,600 marijuana plants but several dogs that were rescued by a mountie with the Williams Lake detachment, McLaughlin says it warrants some attention.
McLaughlin describes the grow operation as “large and purpose built.”
“There were extremely large outbuildings built strictly for producing marijuana,” he alleges, adding massive amounts of electricity, pesticides and fertilizers appeared to be used on site.
Two men in their 30s were arrested at the scene. Charges against those individuals are “still being assessed.”
Investigator Cpl. Dean Robinson found the animals during the investigation. They were living among hazards including chemicals, fertilizers, cesspools and spilled diesel.
Due to the extremely cold temperatures at the time, and the inability of the BC SPCA to attend the scene, Robinson decided to take one of the adult dogs and her eight pups home with him as he knew they could not survive a lack of heat due to power being cut to the facility.
Robinson returned to the property the following day to check on the remaining four adult dogs. Three of them remained and were rescued by the SPCA as were the mother and her puppies.
However, a veterinarian inspection later revealed the female dog and pups had parvo and had to be euthanized. The remaining three adult dogs were healthy and have since been adopted.
Since rescuing the dogs, Robinson has initiated a fundraiser in co-operation with Save-On-Foods that allows Williams Lake residents to donate points to the Williams Lake SPCA. One dollar for every 1,000 points will be matched dollar for dollar by the store.
“Rarely do you come across a grow op of this size without finding some secondary issue going on. But finding this blatant disregard for the health of these dogs really hit home for me,” Robinson said in a release. McLaughlin says as far as he knows animal cruelty charges have not been forwarded in this case.