Cattle Rustler caught in Winnipeg, Canada - Cowsmo

Cattle Rustler caught in Winnipeg, Canada

WINNIPEG – A northern Manitoba teen has been fined for his involvement in an incident of apparent cattle rustling.

Police arrested the now 17-year-old boy last October, days after nine head of cattle were stolen from a farm near Fisher Branch, about 150 km north of Winnipeg.

The youth was initially charged with theft of cattle but pleaded guilty to a single offence under the Health of Animals Act.

Court heard the owner of the cattle arrived at her pasture Oct. 19 to see the corral chute door open and the animals gone.

Police traced the animals to Winnipeg Livestock Sales, where they were sold at auction a day earlier for $9,000. Police recovered eight of the animals from a feedlot, but one cow had been trucked to Alberta and slaughtered.

The boy said he was hired by an unidentified man to deliver the animals for auction and did not know he was doing anything wrong, defence lawyer Ryan Rolston told court.

Rolston said the boy has since moved out of the community to find work.

“The fact he is in the cattle business and is alleged to have stolen cattle is a very big deal in that community,” Rolston said. “He acted very naively … and has certainly learned a lesson from it.”

The boy was fined $1,500 and ordered to pay $722 restitution for the slaughtered cow.

Source: Sun News

Scroll to Top