Ontario woman, 23, charged after graphic video emerges of horse being dragged
Disclaimer: This story contains material some viewers may find graphic.
A 23-year-old Ontario woman has been charged under the provincial welfare services act after a graphic video of a horse being dragged surfaced online.
One video shows the horse being pulled with ropes as its back hooves drag along a road.
A second video shows a woman pointing to blood on the ground before speaking to the horse using an offensive term and motioning the camera to the horse's legs while saying, “like literally squirting blood, like her hoof was here, and it was spurting out over there."
The Ministry of the Solicitor General said animal welfare services began an investigation and has charged Solstice Pecile with "causing distress to an animal." The ministry said Pecile is from the Township of Cavan Monaghan, which is located southwest of Peterborough, Ont.
Equestrian Jamie Lorentz, who saw the graphic videos online, has been trying to raise awareness with authorities.
"It’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen in the industry," Lorentz said. "I think it’s a big step. It’s showing our voices are being heard and occurrences like this can’t be swept under the rug."
Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police say an investigation is ongoing into a possible animal cruelty incident, which began on Nov. 3, in conjunction with animal welfare services. They said their investigation was prompted by a video posted online involving a horse.
The first image shows a video of a horse being dragged by a rope (Facebook). Two sources have identified the second photo as Solstice Pecile, a 23-year-old woman charged under the provincial welfare services act (Wishing Stone Farm).
Within that area, two sources have confirmed Pecile worked at Wishing Stone Farm. According to its website, the farm offers a range of services including horse boarding and training.
CTV News Toronto attempted to track down Pecile on the phone and at the farm. However, no one answered the door at the farm on Friday or has returned calls since.
The Ministry of the Solicitor General said it expects Pecile to appear at a provincial offences court date in January.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.