Riverfront Aquariums owner and manager charged following 'mass seizure' of pets

Multiple charges have been laid against the manager and ownerof a Calgarypet store from which 333 animals were seized last December.

The Calgary Humane Society announced the charges Monday against Michael Chow, owner of Riverfront Aquariums, and Wayne Woo, the store's manager.

• Riverfront Aquariums already faced multiple charges before seizure of 333 neglected animals
• Riverfront Aquariums faces 3rd set of animal neglect charges

"What is most concerning in this case is the blatant disregard for the basic welfare of the animals in the care of this business," Brad Nichols, the humane society's senior manager ofanimal cruelty investigations, said in a release.

The charges stem from what the humane society described as its "mass seizure"of animalsincluding several species of snakes, lizards, amphibians, invertebrates and spidersfrom the business on Dec. 2.

The humane society alleges the animals were not being properly cared for.

Previous charges

Riverfront Aquariums andWoo, as the store's former owner,also facethree separate sets of chargesfrom previous offences in 2014 and 2015.

Woodeclined to comment about any of the allegations against him when previously reached.

"I'd like to but,on advice of the lawyers, I'm just following what they're telling me," he said last December, following the mass seizure of animals.

A court date has been set forMay 24.