by Glenn Taylor
Northern News Services

INUVIK (Dec 19/97) - The Town of Inuvik seized 82 dogs belonging to a local man last week, after a judge ordered the man to Edmonton to undergo psychiatric evaluation.

Horst Podzadny owns 82 dogs. Since the fall, the local Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has been pressuring the town to have the dogs destroyed after reports that 30 had died from starvation last winter.

Podzadny told the Drum that 30 had died last winter, and that 15 more had starved to death so far this winter. Podzadny asked for the public's help in feeding the dogs, which he planned to develop into a dog team.

Podzadny, 60, was facing an assault charge in Inuvik court last Friday, during which he interrupted the proceedings several times. Judge Brian Bruser questioned Podzadny's mental state, and warned him the trial would continue without him if he interrupted again.

When Podzadny again protested, Bruser had him escorted out of the room by two RCMP officers. The judge then ordered that Podzadny be transported to Edmonton for psychiatric assessment, and the trial rescheduled for Jan. 6.

The town was already making plans to seize the dogs last week, before Podzadny was ordered to Edmonton, said town senior administrative officer Don Howden. With no owner to feed the animals until January, the town decided the NWT Dog Act authorized the seizure of the animals for destruction.

A volunteer committee of 10 local residents with experience caring for dogs was formed last Friday. On Saturday afternoon, the group entered Podzadny's property to inspect the animals.

The committee was instructed to assess the health of the animals. If the dogs appeared to be in a critical state, the town intended to have them destroyed immediately, according to Howden.

If the dogs appeared healthy, however -- as the committee later determined -- the town was to feed the dogs for five days, after which residents would be allowed to adopt the pets. Those remaining would then be put down.

"The dogs appeared to be healthy and well-treated," said Howden. "There was not any consensus to immediately destroy the animals."

But Howden said "there was concern raised that there appeared to be a significant amount of inbreeding, and overcrowding. Some dogs were not sociable, and didn't appear to have been exercised on regular basis."

The municipality's seizure of the dogs sets a new legal precedent for the NWT, said Howden. As such, the issue is a sensitive one, he said. But he is confident the town has acted properly under the Dog Act.

Podzadny's lawyer, Andrew Fox, would not say whether he intended to block the destruction of the dogs. "I have to consider what options are available, and if I get instruction (from Podzadny) then I will act."

Podzadny, who said he considers the dogs his "children," will not likely take the news of their destruction well. To help compensate, "it has been proposed that three of the healthier males be kept, vaccinated and neutered, to keep Horst company upon his return," said Howden.

"We didn't have a choice in the matter -- it's damned if we do, and damned if we don't," said Howden.