Several members of Voice for Animals went to Didsbury yesterday for the sentencing of the Young Offender (YO) in the Daisy Duke case. I probably don't need to remind anyone but she was the lab-border collie cross who was viciously beaten by Daniel Haskett and the YO and then dragged behind a car with her muzzle and legs duct taped. The YO pleaded guilty to animal abuse so there was no trial only the sentencing.
 
The facts of this case are horrific, when the list of injuries this dog suffered were read in court many people cried, some had to leave the room. There is no question that this is one of the most sadistic animal cruelty cases ever. The Crown Prosecutor said her office had never seen anything like this case and received more calls about it than any other (even murder cases).
 
Voice for Animals wanted to be there to remind the government and the justice system that people who torture animals are likely to do it again and are also a danger to other people. We also wanted to get the message across to the government that they must pass anti-cruelty legislation Bill C-373, not the toothless Bill S-213 which is now before Parliament.
 
Incredibly, the judge handed out a fairly stiff sentence, as stiff as it gets under the Young Offenders Act, with jail time not an option. The YO received two years probation, 3 months house arrest + 9 months restrictive curfew, 240 hours of community service and ordered him to stay away from animals. He must also attend a Moral Reasoning Program. Despite this we felt that the judge, in his statement, did not strongly enough find the YO responsible for his actions. He appeared to agree with the defense that it was a clumsy attempt at euthanasia (the YO claimed he had accidentally run over the dog), a youthful mistake, callous but not intentional rather than the obvious intentionally brutal act that it was.
 
There is no question that Daisy Duke suffered horribly and this was an intentional act by two young thugs. Daniel Haskett has pleaded not guilty and his trial will be held in Didsbury on May 23. If anyone is interested in driving down, please let me know so we can make arrangements.