The Conception Bay South dog advocate who had been suspected of stealing a dog and shipping it out of the province has been cleared of criminal charges.
Heather Ballard had been facing one count of theft under $5,000. However, when the case was called in provincial court in St. John's this morning (Monday), Crown prosecutor Jennifer Colford told Judge Lori Marshall that there was "no reasonable prospect of conviction."
Ballard, 37, smiled as she walked out of the courtroom with her lawyer Andrew Conway. She declined comment on the acquittal.
Ballard was suspected of stealing a four-year-old husky, Avalanche, in January 2015 from a garden in Fowler's Road.
It triggered an extensive search, as the owner's family and friends scoured the area.
The dog was discovered in Nova Scotia six months later and was returned home.
Ballard has had ties with a few dog rescue groups in the province.
Twitter: TelyRosie
