Based on coverage from The Star, CP24, Daily Hive, Castanet, and The Province.
A B.C. woman who tried to euthanize her cat by injecting it with fentanyl has been convicted of criminal animal cruelty, handed a five-year ban on owning or living with animals, and placed on probation for 12 months.
The case, heard in Kelowna provincial court, is being described by the B.C. SPCA as a warning against do-it-yourself euthanasia methods that cause suffering, and as a rare example of an animal cruelty file being prosecuted under the Criminal Code rather than through provincial legislation.
Kelowna animal cruelty case details
The B.C. SPCA says it launched an investigation in December 2024 after a veterinarian contacted its Animal Helpline about a cat in “critical distress.” The veterinarian ultimately euthanized the cat.
According to the SPCA, a necropsy it ordered later found the cat had been exposed to fentanyl. The organization says the investigation centred on Jayme-Jo Crystal Brooks, identified in reports as a woman from Lake Country.
Criminal Code conviction and court outcome
Brooks pleaded guilty to administering a poisonous or injurious drug or substance to a domestic animal. Reports place the guilty plea date as May 29 in Kelowna provincial court.
She was sentenced to 12 months’ probation. The SPCA statement and follow-up reporting say that probation includes mandatory counselling or education programs as directed by a probation officer, plus 30 hours of community service.
Brooks also received a five-year prohibition on owning an animal or bird, having custody or control of one, or living in the same residence as an animal or bird.
One outlet also reported that Brooks had faced additional charges, including causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and failing to provide necessities of life, but that those charges appeared to have been stayed. The SPCA materials focus on the guilty plea to administering an injurious substance.
BC SPCA investigation found drug exposure
After the initial cat was euthanized and fentanyl exposure was identified, the B.C. SPCA says its officers executed a search warrant at Brooks’ home and seized two other cats.
Testing found both of those cats had been exposed to illicit drugs. Accounts vary slightly in the list, with the SPCA describing cocaine and methamphetamine, and other coverage specifying cocaine, amphetamines, and methamphetamine.
The outcomes for the seized cats were mixed: one was adopted into a new home, while the other had “severe underlying health concerns” and was euthanized on veterinarians’ recommendation.
Why the B.C. SPCA says this matters
Jamie Wiltse, the SPCA’s regional manager for animal protection services, called the outcome a “huge victory for animal welfare in Canada,” pointing to the fact the case proceeded under the Criminal Code of Canada.
The SPCA argues a Criminal Code conviction carries a stronger level of denunciation than a provincial offence because it can come with a criminal record. The organization also said the conviction sets a precedent against at-home euthanasia practices that inflict unnecessary harm.
Alongside the court outcome, the B.C. SPCA urged people struggling to care for an animal to contact its Animal Helpline at 1-855-622-7722.
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