Auction planned for neglected animals

A number of donkeys and horses taken from a Manitoba farmas part ofa criminal animal-cruelty investigation will be auctioned off Monday.

The Rural Municipality of Swan River will hold an afternoon auction featuring animals taken from Walter Goba's farm in December.

The money raised from the auction will go towards paying back the costs of rehabilitating the animals for the past two months, said Brian Burick, the RM's deputy reeve.

"They're well fed, well-looked after a lot of time," he said. "A lot of volunteer people have spent time with them. They are good. We've had them for two months already."

Burick said it has cost around $16,000 to board the animals and bring them back to health.

Goba, 68, made his first court appearance on more than 40 animal-cruelty charges in January. Animal welfare activists staged a protest rally outside the courthouse at the time.

RCMP also seized 27 dogs from his property. One had to be destroyed.

Goba's next court appearance is set for Feb. 16.

Swan River is about 500 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, near the Saskatchewan border.