OSPCA investigators say there was not enough evidence to support charges in connection to a video of alleged abuse towards a duck.
A video that appears to show a duck that was hit by a truck being abused circulated on social media in Chatham-Kent after being shared on Snapchat in May.
Disclaimer: The video contains content that may be disturbing to some viewers.
OSPCA agents from the Sarnia Humane Society investigated the matter and spoke with the man in the video.
OSPCA Agent Ryan Sparks provided the following statement on Wednesday:
"There was not enough evidence to support charges in the matter as it could not be proven whether the duck was alive or dead at the time of the incident. The case has been forwarded to the Canadian Wildlife Services for further investigation."
The poster of the video previously told BlackburnNewsCK.com that she spoke with police and confirmed the duck was dead.
Media Relations Spokesperson for Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) Samantha Bayard says based on observations and supplementary information provided by OSPCA, ECCC’s Enforcement Branch has closed its investigation.
Bayard says shortly after the release of a video showing the alleged abuse of a duck in May, ECCC Enforcement Officers were forwarded a copy for review and action.
The lead enforcement officer found the following:
• In the video, the duck appeared lifeless, suggesting it had already died.
• The OSPCA investigator was interviewed and believed the animal had died as a result of a collision with an automobile prior to the video being filmed. OSPCA concluded the duck was not purposefully hit, but died by accident.
• The duck appeared to be large and had the colouring of a Rouen duck, a species that is not regulated under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994.
