The Alberta judicial system took a huge step in the right direction this past week sentencing Branden Chailler, an 18-year-old Edmonton man, to 26 months in prison for killing his family's dog.
The Alberta judicial system took a huge step in the right direction this past week sentencing Branden Chailler, an 18-year-old Edmonton man, to 26 months in prison for killing his family's dog.
Chailler had pleaded guilty to a series of crimes, which included mischief, break and enter and unlawfully killing a dog back in August.
In my opinion, this prison sentence should have been longer. At first I thought the 26-month sentence was suitable, but after stumbling upon the gruesome details of exactly how he mutilated his mother's Shih Tzu-pug cross, I think he got off easy. (Anyone interesting in the details can look them up. But be warned, they are quite disturbing.)
Dogs are considered man's best friend. They greet you when you come home; they are usually happy to see you and often show an unconditional love towards their owners. Dogs also can become extremely trusting and protective of their owners, which is why I have trouble thinking anyone would ever want to hurt one - especially in this way.
According to court reports, Chailler mutilated the dog, posed it on the floor, took pictures and sent them to a girl he was trying to impress. He also showed no remorse for his actions while appearing in court.
In my opinion this shows he was proud of what he did and wanted to show it off. His actions have made me question whether he is mentally stable and wonder if he is threat to society.
Anyone who is sick enough to kill a dog and brag about it should be locked up for a long time. Being as young as he is, it's unfortunate he is entering the prison system, but I feel he is at risk to do something like this again.
The judge felt Chailler's gruesome act was worth 26-months, which is a lengthy sentence.
However, I would feel a lot safer if his mental state was assessed following his prison sentence.
Would you want someone who enjoyed mutilating a dog walking around free in two years? I don't.
Although disturbing, this case shows that the court system is taking a serious tone and not tolerating animal cruelty.
The Crown considered the case precedent-setting and had asked for a 27-36 month prison sentence. The defense was asking for a 12-month sentence.
A lifetime ban of owning a pet and a ten-year ban on owning a firearm also accompanied the 26-month sentence received by Chailler.
I hope this precedent 26-month sentence serves as a deterrent against animal cruelty and I hope the court continues to hand out tough punishments for those people sick enough to kill harmless, loving and innocent animals.
