By Séamus Smyth
Posted 18 hours ago
STONY PLAIN – A Stony Plain woman reported 11 of her cherished Japanese Koi fish stolen this past week only to have them found lifeless in her neighbour’s car this past Monday.
Bernice George was on holidays while her son looked after her home in Glenwood Crescent.
He began to suspect something was wrong early Saturday morning when he noticed there was no movement in George’s backyard pool.
He surveyed the scene and realized that 11 of the 15 Japanese Koi fish were missing and that some of the landscaping had been tarnished.
George reported the theft to the RCMP immediately upon her return, thinking that someone must have stolen them and placed them in their own pool.
Yet, the plight of the exotic Japanese fish, who can run from $300- $500 each, took a turn for the worse two days later.
George’s next-door neighbour Cynthia Bouchard was getting her two sons ready to pick up her younger daughter, when Jeremy Bouchard, 4, exclaimed that there was fish in the car.
Bouchard approached the vehicle and said she was shaking from not only the sight, but the smell as well.
“It was really gross, it smelt horribly,” she explained.
Bouchard’s car had been broken into the Thursday prior to the discovery, having her wallet stolen as a result.
Although the car is no longer in running condition, the keys were also stolen allowing the culprits to place the fish inside.
Bouchard quickly informed George who was horrified by the news.
“This is cruelty to animals as far as I am concerned. This goes beyond theft or vandalism,” she said.
“To take the time to just throw them in the car and let them die, I can’t understand this,” she continued.
She still has four Koi fish remaining, but does not have any plans to purchase anymore because of the recent events.
“A lot of people have dogs or cats but these were my pets. It was a hard job to look after them, but I enjoyed it,” she said.
She believes that the crime was premeditated because she said they must have used fishnets to trap them and then a tub to transport the fish to the nearby vehicle.
She has never received any complaints about her pond instead only receiving compliments about the peaceful running water that accompanies the sanctuary.
The RCMP is currently investigating the situation and urges anyone with information to contact them at 780 968 7267 or to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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