Calgary animal abuser is sentenced.

[Catherine]

You will remember the guy who tortured and killed a cat and a dog in Calgary, Alberta. They were both found dead with tape around their mouths.

He was found guilty and we have been waiting to hear his sentence.

It is good news and bad news. It is good because it is the biggest animal abuse sentence given out in Alberta. It is bad because it is only 22 months and he gets 16 months credit for the 8 months he has been in jail. So dangerous as he is, he could be out in 6 months.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/03/27/...-sentence/

He is also banned from owning animals for life, but how do they plan to enforce it? What is to stop him from killing other people's animals.
Somehow I do not feel safer or more confident in our justice system.

[LPC]

Yes, as you say, the result is part good, part not good. What worries me more is whether this young man's apology and expression of regret is genuine. It could have been a tactic to get a lighter sentence, rather than a sincere expression of regret. But unfortunately only he knows what is in his heart. All the court can do is impose punishment based on what he has said. But the lifetime ban is good, as if he dares to ignore it later on (which, sadly, he could), he will then be guilty of breaking the ban as well as a second offence, and could expect a sentence much harsher than he got this time around.

[Tobi]

Well, yes it is both good, and not good, The best part of this is that the legal system is taking these crimes more and more seriously and beginning to give stiffer sentences.
But a short time in jail may or may not be punitve enough to have any effect on his actions once released. He could even come out worse than he was before....

It is frequently shown in psychological profiling of criminals, that they do often progress from animal abuse and cruelty, to crimes such as murder.

I say the same thing as I've always said; the giving away of any animals "free to good homes"...and the sale of animals online at such sites as Craigslist, Gumtree, and Kijiji, etc should be completely outlawed. It has already been done (as far as I know) by Ebay. So if Ebay can do it, why not everyone else? That still won't protect the animals 100% but would give them a better chance.
(Mind you, even after the ban I did see the sale of puppies on Ebay and reported it immediately.)

[Catherine]

I think everyone involved knows it was a good/bad outcome. No one thinks he is sincere and sorry. He will be careful, to avoid getting caught next time. There will be a next time. We don't know what he will do, but he will do something. Probably it will be worse.

Six more months in jail won't change that. He belongs in a psychiatric hospital for as long as it takes to protect the rest of us.

Quote:I say the same thing as I've always said; the giving away of any animals "free to good homes"...and the sale of animals online at such sites as Craigslist, Gumtree, and Kijiji, etc should be completely outlawed. It has already been done (as far as I know) by Ebay. So if Ebay can do it, why not everyone else? That still won't protect the animals 100% but would give them a better chance.

Banning live animals from these sites would make them less vulnerable. People who look for free animals do not always have good motives. That is why the shelters charge so much. They do it to protect the animals they are adopting out.
Good for EBay that it has taken the lead and banned the sale of animals. I hope the rest follow their lead. In the mean time we just have to watch out for the vulnerable animals when we can.

[LPC]

(03-29-2015, 05:13 PM)Catherine Wrote: Six more months in jail won't change that. He belongs in a psychiatric hospital for as long as it takes to protect the rest of us.

I agree. Prisons often only expose people to more criminals, who share experiences, are brutal to each other, and plan future crimes: schools for crime, if you like. Associating mentally ill people such as this young man with hardened criminals, without any treatment, could actually make him a bigger danger.

Prison sentences may make soothe the public into thinking "justice has been done" (and a false sense of security), but it is far more important that the root cause of this man's illness should be eliminated before he is considered fit for release.

This young man is a danger not only to animals, but after this short sentence also a risk to humans. He needs long-term psychiatric treatment to face up to and eliminate this pleasure in inflicting cruelty on helpless animals.

[Tobi]

That is very true, LPC. I agree with every word you've said.

[Catherine]

It is only a matter of time before he does worse. The only good news is the fact that he is well known so he will be a "person of interest" if anything happens where that he lives. Sadly someone could be dead before he is caught again.

I know we can't charge people for crimes that they might commit, but we should still be able to protect ourselves.