Posted on 11/06/2003 7:26:11 PM PST by CoolGuyVic
Cops probe restaurant
Furniture, fittings allegedly missing as well as canine carcasses in freezer
By KEITH BRADFORD, EDMONTON SUN
The city restaurant where four skinned and gutted canine carcasses were discovered earlier this week is now at the centre of a police investigation.
The property manager of the 10507 Kingsway Ave. building, leased by the Panda Garden restaurant, yesterday claimed he discovered the animals after the tenants cleared out in a hurry Monday. He also said the restaurant was missing furniture and fittings.
"Security was here on-site as the last vehicle pulled away Monday night," said Don, who refused to give his last name.
"There was a lot of meat left in the freezer and I found the carcasses - I think they're probably hound dogs or racing dogs. I think it's absolutely disgusting."
The frozen carcasses spent yesterday thawing in a city lab, awaiting an autopsy to determine whether they are dogs or coyotes. Capital Health environmental health officer Richard Reive said he tracked down the restaurant's owner yesterday, but he won't reveal what he said while the matter remains under investigation.
Police spokesman Wes Bellmore confirmed police are investigating a complaint that furniture and fittings belonging to the Kingsway Avenue strip mall - owned by a listed company in B.C. - had been stolen.
"The investigator said virtually everything in the store was gone - appliances, tables and chairs," said Bellmore. "Just about anything that could be moved has been moved, plus there was water damage."
Bellmore said no dollar value has been attached to the missing property, but investigators are following up a lead that it is being stored by a city restaurant supply company.
Alberta Sustainable Resource Development forensic biologist Bob McClymont, who will perform an autopsy on the carcasses today, confirmed the animals have been gutted - which is standard procedure when animals are being prepared for human consumption.
"I will be looking at different measurements of the body," he said. "All they want to know is what type of critters they are."
There are no federal laws preventing restaurants from serving up coyote or dog meat - a popular delicacy in Korea.
"It's just illegal to import, to export and to transport it across provincial barriers," said Canadian Food Inspection Agency spokesman Sue Robertson.
Provincial law, however, states that inspectors have to clear all meat being prepared for sale.
"Theoretically, you could (sell canine meat) if you had a slaughterhouse - which would have to be inspected," said Capital Health medical officer of health Dr. Gerry Predy.
"But at this point, we have no evidence that meat from these carcasses was served in the restaurant."
The strip mall's property manager said he's been unable to contact his tenant since Monday night. But yesterday he slapped an eviction notice on Panda Garden's front door.
"The place looked like it was doing bang-up business," said Don. "The parking lot was always full."
Sad thing is we kill an amazing amount of pets that no one wants and just bury the meat as kids in the third world starve to death for lack of protein. Why don't we just ship them the surplus pets where they are not only wanted - they are needed?
Oh well, the PETA people want to go home pretending they are better than everyone because they love animals so much when they would let kids starve that could use old horse and pet protein. Guess they haven't felt hunger. Yeah, they are so much better than me.
Sounds like a major repossession job gone bad.
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