Crown asks for harsher sentence for man convicted in cat mutilation

[LadyFaile]

Crown asks for harsher sentence for man convicted in cat mutilation


Canadian Press


Wednesday, May 28, 2003


TORONTO -- A Crown lawyer asked Wednesday for a harsher sentence to be handed down to a man convicted of animal cruelty for skinning and killing a cat.

Calling a trial judge's decision a "fundamental misconception," lawyer Jamie Klukach told the Ontario Court of Appeal that the sentence of 18-months house arrest and 90 days in custody on weekends given to Jamie Power, 22, was too lenient.

"If this does not qualify as the worst kind of cruelty to animals, it is difficult to conceive what might," Klukach said in court.

Power and Anthony Wennekers, 25, pleaded guilty to mischief and animal cruelty for participating in the May 2001 torture and killing of a stray cat. They were convicted and sentenced in April 2002.

The Crown wants Power to serve the rest of his sentence in jail, not at home. Wennekers has already served his sentence of 22-months.

Power's lawyer, Mark Sandler, argued that he has served almost all of his time and has possibly served 80 days more than his original sentence due to a parole officer's error.

"If anything, that exceeds the existing jurisprudence and appropriate tariff on cruelty to animals," Sandler told the Judge.

The three-member panel of judges reserved decision on the appeal of Power's sentence.

Meanwhile, a group of animal rights activists gathered outside the court to call for tougher penalties for animal cruelty and to support Bill C-10, an update to Canada's animal cruelty laws currently before the Senate.

The sentencing of Power and Wennekers followed a trial in which a gruesome videotape of the men's crimes was played to the courtroom, bringing spectators to tears.

It showed three young men stabbing, cutting, skinning and eventually killing the stray cat.

Power's lawyer told the court last April that the art student and one-time vegetarian intended the video to be an art project showing that it was hypocritical for society to allow the killing of some animals for their meat but not others.

The third man seen in the videotape, Matthew Kaczorowski, whose whereabouts was unknown by police until March 2003, was arrested in Vancouver and brought back to Toronto. He will be sentenced after the Ontario Court of Appeal hears the appeal of Power's sentence.

© Copyright 2003 The Canadian Press

http://www.canada.com/toronto/story.asp?id=455A3C78-1C88-45FD-BFB4-C5DEC492507E

[Peebs]

I hope he goes to jail and is raped daily.

[stellamew]

some people really make me ashamed to be human

[shewolf]

What sick, twisted bastards they are...

[LadyFaile]

i can appreciate the point he was attempting to prove, that meat from one animal is no different than meat from another so why do people eat some animals and befriend others.

but holy crap who actually does that??!! could he have not thought of another way to prove his point? what sort of vegetarian is/was this guy that he'd knowingly plan out and then commit such an act? this story really ticks me off. if i hear any updates on their sentencing i'll post them

[Fenguin]

I wonder how lawyer Jamie Klukach and the other participants in this trial feel about the other not-so-cute animals that experience this treatment normally.

Is it evil and wrong? Absolutely. But I'd say only marginally moreso than ordering a quarter-pounder from McDonalds. The fact is he probably went a long way towards converting a lot of people over.

[epski]

Yeah, if any good can come out of this, I hope it's that people see this sick attempt at a dialectic and start thinking about the message seriously enough to consider veg*nism.

Unfortunately, most people will prefer not to think at all, except what they are spoonfed by the media:

"Former vegetarian mutilates cat."

Boom.

[shewolf]

The end does not justify the means IMO. That it is wrong to eat a hamburger does NOT make it right to skin and kill a cat.

[epski]

Agreed. I'm just looking for a silver lining, as always.

[Robert]

Originally posted by epski
Unfortunately, most people will prefer not to think at all, except what they are spoonfed by the media:

"Former vegetarian mutilates cat."

Boom.

I agree with this 100%. Absolutely.

This is the exact same sort of "shock" headline that groups like PETA and the ALF etc. attract from the media with their various campaigns and "liberations". It serves to do nothing but set the entire concept of being veg* as a negative thing to the rest of the public majority.

I can just hear the water cooler talk now...

"Did you hear about that vegetarian nutcase who skinned that cat? I wonder wtf is wrong with those people. They're all crazy. Must be the lack of meat protein that makes them this way."

[Kurmudgeon]

Originally posted by LadyFaile
.....meat from one animal is no different than meat from another so why do people eat some animals and befriend others.

I received an e-mail with a new law in an Australian State:


DOGS, CATS OFF MENU

By DAVID WILSON

THE Victorian State Government will outlaw the eating of dogs
and cats following strong pressure from the RSPCA.

The RSPCA has demanded the Bracks Government bring down
emergency laws banning the practice.

Under current laws, anyone found guilty of eating a dog or a cat
has been charged with the killing of it - not the eating of it.

A Government spokeswoman said amendments to the Meat
Industry Act were expected to be introduced in Parliament later
this year which would make it illegal to eat dogs and cats.

The issue has blown up since a man walked into a northern
suburbs restaurant late last year with a bag of puppies saying he
wanted to eat them.

The RSPCA President Hugh Wirth said his organisation had
been asking the Government to change the laws.

The RSPCA has pushed for legal changes similar to those
announced by the South Australian Government last week.

SA law now provides that buffalo, camel, cattle, deer, goat, hare,
pig, poultry, rabbit and kangaroo can be consumed in part or
whole.

But consuming cat or dog meat, killing a cat or dog for human
consumption or supplying dog or cat meat for human
consumption will be illegal.

The new Victorian laws are expected to mirror the SA legislation
and will be introduced to Parliament within months.

Dr Wirth said there had been multicultural arguments against
laws outlawing the eating of dogs and cats.

"Its the custom to eat dogs in some countries - why can't we do it
in Australia?," he said.

"But dogs have been kept by westerners as companion animals
and working companions for thousands of years.

"People who have this sort of close association with them don't
want to eat them," he said.

[Robert]

Just to play devil's advocate here Kurm, I have to question why a cat or a dog, or a kitten and a puppy for that matter, are "less" important than a kangaroo or a pig or whatever. Is it becaause cats and dogs are domesticated and kept as pets? Is it because they are seen as cuter?

Granted, I'd never eat a cat or a dog... I just find it interesting why those two are singled out. If that guy at the bar walked in with a bag of piglets saying he was gonna have some tender pork chops.. I bet nothing would be said about it, ya know?

It just strikes me as selective by the RSPCA.

[Kurmudgeon]

I think it's the whole Western "pet" thing.

If he'd have walked in with Piglets people may have objected, as they are "baby" Pigs (but once they are grown it's okay).

Not that an animal being a "baby" is always a guarantee of (temporary) safety..... for example, 'Roo hunters squash Joeys (baby Kangaroos) from their Mother's puches under their boots to save bullets.

[LadyFaile]

people hear what the media want them to hear, that is for sure.
yesterday on the news they were showing an accident with a transport truck on one of the big highways in toronto. it was a truck carrying cows, it tipped over. several of the cows died or were later put down, and the rest are being examined by the health and safety board or something. what was the story really about? why the traffic is so bad in toronto. they started with showing the accident, which was horrible, and used it as an opener to talk about traffic congestion because of accidents and too many trucks on the road. cause ya know, that's the most important issue here :rolleyes: made me so :mad:

[DirtDiva]

I can't believe they even bothered to mention the fact that this pyscho is/was a vegetarian.. I think it was simply to add to the shock value of the story. I am a member of the Animal Legal Defense Fund and I, sadly, hear stories like this in pretty much every newsletter I get from them .. and I'm constantly signing their petitions for stricter animal protection laws.

Please check out their site and maybe all of us here on the boards can help somehow. www.aldf.org

[*sprout*]

what a ****in idoit omg
like stellamew said it makes you feel ashamed to be human
i hope hes banned from ever having pets along with a 487520987509827350982 $ fine and going to jail
it makes me so angry i want to pee on him

[shewolf]

Actually, one reason why they outlawed eating dogs and cats was the fear that people would start stealing pets to sell for food. Much easier/cheaper to steal a pet from a backyard than hunt your own, or buy meat from the supermarket.

But yes, dogs and cats have companion animal status which gives them more protection. I've found out though that other pets (like rats) aren't afforded the same protections, even if they're being sold as pets. Interesting.

[Robert]

Originally posted by *sprout*
it makes me so angry i want to pee on him

You know.... I have seen people express anger ina lot of ways before.. but this one was unique. Not to make light of the situation, but this cracked me up *sprout*. I think this truly exemplifies one's feelings of anger pretty damn good. I like it :)

[Tame]

Yeah, but the problem is that some may find peeing on another as a sign of affection (at least according to some web sites I have heard of... :tame: )...