If you were a thief, what valuables would you steal? Precious gems? The Declaration of Independence? What about cattle? Probably not at the top of your list, right?
Well, the same can’t be said for one Saskatchewan man. 48-year-old Alvin Hamm from Saskatchewan has been charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
The stolen property? More than $25,000 worth of stolen cattle. Hamm was arrested in connection to a cattle theft in Thorhild, Alberta, in February 2023.
When the cattle disappeared last month, the Alberta RCMP Livestock Investigations Unit (LIU) launched an investigation. The LIU concluded that the cattle were being transported outside of the province.
Their final destination was Martensville, Saskatchewan. On March 16, the LIU from Alberta and Saskatchewan, RCMP from Martensville, and representatives of Livestock Services of Saskatchewan executed a search warrant in Corman Park.
The search turned up 10 of the missing cattle identified by their Alberta Livestock Brands. However, some of the disappeared cattle are still missing.
RCMP is now looking for your help. If you have any information on the missing cattle, contact their provincial livestock investigators at 403-598-6991 for Alberta or 306-537-9448 for Saskatchewan.
If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
The cattle are Black White Face or Black Brockle Face cows. The missing cows are also branded with Alberta Livestock Brands BAR 2 V on their right hip and 6 OVER SPLIT END BAR on their left hip.
Our cow thief is set to appear in Saskatoon Provincial court on May 16. However, this isn’t the first time cows have disappeared in Alberta!
Cattle theft in Alberta is actually pretty common. Considering there are more cattle than people in Alberta, this isn’t too surprising.
With this in mind, our latest cattle theft case is a reminder to brand your cattle. Without a brand, finding missing cattle becomes incredibly difficult.
