By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles

Warrant Issued for Accused in Animal Cruelty Case

Feb 22, 2016 | 1:11 PM

LETHBRIDGE: An arrest warrant has been issued for April Dawn Irving, as she faces charges of animal cruelty.

The warrant was issued Monday afternoon, after Irving failed for a second straight time to appear in court in person, despite being ordered to do so by two different judges. 

Irving was charged in early 2015, after 201 dogs were seized from her property near Milk River, along with five more that were found dead. The dogs were discovered starving, dehydrated and chained to stakes in a yard.

An agent for Irving’s lawyer stated that she is recovering from a broken leg, and while he provided a letter from her doctor confirming that, the judge noted that the letter never says Irving was not capable of attending court.

The lawyer added that they had intended to enter not guilty pleas and wanted to abandon the psychiatric assessment they had ordered, however both will be held until Irving is arrested and appears in court.

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