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CAWSTON, B.C. — Animal protection officers with the SPCA have seized 129 cattle from a property in southeastern British Columbia. 

The society says the neglected cattle were being housed in substandard conditions on a property in Cawston, B.C., with no access to shelter or protection from the elements.

The society's Eileen Drever says in a statement that the cows did not have adequate food or drinking water and were struggling to move through the mud.

They were also suffering from a range of medical issues, including untreated eye infections, lameness, inflamed udders, overgrown hoofs and diarrhea. 

The statement says "numerous carcasses" of dead cows were also discovered on the property.

It says the surviving animals are currently in the care of the provincial SPCA and charges of animal cruelty are being recommended.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2023.

The Canadian Press