Barrie police are looking for two Sarnia women in connection with an animal neglect investigation.
The Barrie Police Service were called last weekend about a dog and cat being kept in two parked vehicles at a hotel in the city, and received a complaint from a resident worried about the animals wellbeing.
Officers with assistance from the Ministry of the Solicitor General Animal Welfare Services attended the scene and expressed a genuine concern about the health and welfare of the animals. Three dogs were surrendered to the OSPCA Barrie Animal Centre, and one, a German Shepherd, required emergency surgery to remove a foreign body from its stomach.
Police allege the female owners of the animals left the city without paying for the dog's life-saving procedure and the dog remains in the care of the OSPCA.
"The female owners of the animals involved in this investigation were evasive and have manipulated the kindness of a number of local agencies and church organizations to obtain supplies and financial support for what appears to have been nothing more than part of elaborate scheme that was based upon a number of mistruths," read a news release from Barrie police.
Police are asking for the public's help in locating the mother and daughter duo, 54 and 23-years-old, who are now wanted for offences under the Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act and the Criminal Code of Canada.
They were travelling in what are described as a beige 2008 Dodge Caravan and a grey/silver 2003 Toyota Highlander with a small utility trailer. Their names have not been released.
Police say the primary concern is the health and wellbeing of other animals they are travelling with, including newborn puppies.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Barrie Police Service at 705-725-7025 extension 2657, or your nearest police service.