hollywoodtone.blogspot.com Manitoba dog hoarder sentenced to 4 months in jail for neglect
hollywoodtone.blogspot.com Manitoba dog hoarder sentenced to 4 months in jail for neglect
Winnipeg - A 63-year-old man is in jail and his wife was fined more than $21,500 after pleading guilty to several charges of neglect under Manitoba's Animal Care Act.
Peter and Judith Chernecki appeared in a Winnipeg courtroom for sentencing yesterday. The couple had pleaded guilty to seven charges under the Animal Care Act in April 2013. Officials have said it was one of the worst case of animal neglect they have ever seen. In July 2010, provincial animal welfare officials and the RCMP went to the Cherneckis' home in Gull Lake, Manitoba after receiving a complaint. Sixty-four dogs were seized. Of the 64, 34 of the animals had to be put down and another seven were sent to a special facility in Utah because of behavioural problems. Most of the dogs lived in a small unlit space and the floor was covered with excrement and other filth. A nest of rats were also discovered in the small cabin where most of the dogs were kept. The Cherneckis insisted that the dogs, rescued after being abandoned in a nearby landfill, were well looked after. Although there was no evidence the couple actually physically harmed any of the dogs, one dog was found with a head wound incurred prior to being taken in by the Cherneckis. The wound was never treated. In addition to the fine and jail sentence, Judge Carena Roller banned the couple from owning dogs for a period of five years. Roller said, "If I were permitted to give life time bans, I would. If this case is not the worst case scenario, it is very close." Roller also found although the Cherneckis claimed they had an animal rescue operation, they made no efforts to find homes for any of the dogs. She described pictures of the dogs as "heartbreaking at best, cruel at worst." The Cherneckis were also placed on probation for two years. One of the conditions of their probation orders is they allow animal control officers to inspect their property at least once a month. The couple's lawyer, Jay Prober who had asked for probation, was not pleased with the sentence. Prober said, "[The sentence] was a little harsh and a little unfair for somebody who was trying his best to operate an animal shelter." But others were happy with the jail sentence. Winnipeg Humane Society CEO Bill McDonald said he was surprised by the four-month jail sentence. McDonald said, "I think it is an unprecedented sentence here in Manitoba and maybe across Canada. The consequences are now, folks—it's jail time [for animal abuse]. We catch you and it's jail time." The Cherneckis currently have 42 cats. They will be allowed to keep two of the felines and Judge Roller has given them until March 12 to get rid of the other 40.
hollywoodtone.blogspot.com Manitoba dog hoarder sentenced to 4 months in jail for neglect