A Fort St. John woman faces animalcruelty charges after Alberta Mounties found a dead dog and kennel burning on a campfire.
A witness told police another burned dog ran into the woods, RCMP say.
Police were called to the Nitehawk Recreational Area campground near Grovedale, 480 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, after someone reported animals being mistreated on July 7.
"It's quite an open campground, from my understanding, so a number of witnesses were able to hear and see some of the things that were going on, so that's why we were called so quickly to the complaint," said Cpl. Roy Kennedy of the Grande Prairie RCMP detachment.
When police arrived at the campsite, a small dog and a kennel were burning in a firepit. A woman in a trailer was arrested.
Investigators believe the woman had been drinking and had fought with her husband, who left the campsite before the incident occurred.
Police believe a second dog ran into the woods, but investigators couldn't find the animal, Kennedy said. After speaking with witnesses, officers concluded that the dog had likely died. Police didn't know the breed of either dog.
Debra Holden, 53, faces two counts of injuring or endangering animals and two counts of causing animals unnecessary suffering.
