Guilty plea in sled dog slaughter

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NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) –  The man charged with killing more than 50 sled dogs in Whistler has pleaded guilty in North Vancouver Provincial Court.

Robert Fawcett now faces up to five years in jail.

About a dozen protesters gathered outside the courthouse with signs that read ‘Justice for Slaughtered Dogs’ and ‘Stop Animal Abuse’.

Neil MacKenzie with the The Crown says a psychological assessment has been ordered for Fawcett, which can take six to eight weeks.

MacKenzie says the maximum penalty for an animal abuse case like this, is roughly five years behind bars. “It is important to note though, that obviously the maximum sentence is just one element of what the court considers when they are determining what an appropriate sentence is.”

Sentencing will likely happen on November 22.

Earlier today, Marcie Moriarty with the BC SPCA said she would be happy with a guilty plea and hopes this case sets a precedent for other animal abuse cases in the future.

“I don’t have the luxury of having other constables to replace constables while they’re in court. This will help us, in fact, save more animals because our constables can be on the road,” she explains.

She adds a guilty plea shows responsibility and accountability. “I think preventing having to go through weeks of trial, which would be exceptionally emotional for the constables involved.”

Fawcett made his first court appearance in Pemberton in May. A large group of protesters showed up for that appearance and because of that, as well as other security reasons, the case was moved to North Vancouver Provincial Court.

In total, 56 dogs were killed when the sled dog company Fawcett was working for saw a slump in business following the 2010 Olympic Games.

The SPCA found the animals in a mass grave.

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