Man gets 30 days for dog 'mercy killing'
By THE CANADIAN PRESS

Last Updated: 18th December 2008, 3:35am

DIDSBURY, Alta. -- An Alberta man who tried to kill his family's injured pet dog by binding her with duct tape and dragging her behind a car was sentenced yesterday to 30 days in jail.

Daniel Charles Haskett, 21, will serve his sentence on weekends.

Haskett pleaded guilty in May 2007 to animal cruelty and obstruction of justice for his part in the tortuous death of Daisy Duke, a Lab-border-collie cross.

In an agreed statement of facts, Haskett admitted to putting a bag over her head and dragging the dog after a 17-year-old friend inadvertently ran over the animal and then hit it with a shovel in October 2006.

Daisy was found bound with duct tape, her neck, back and pelvis broken. She was barely alive and a veterinarian called to the scene immediately euthanized her because of the severity of her injuries.

Defence lawyer Alan Pearse said Judge Ian Kirkpatrick took into consideration the fact that Haskett did not set out to hurt Daisy but instead reacted badly when she was already seriously injured.

"The judge noted that in this case it was essentially a euthanasia gone wrong," Pearse said.

Recently, the House of Commons passed a law that makes the maximum penalty for cruelty to animals five years in prison or a $10,000 fine, or both.

However, the max under the old law, which was in effect when Haskett was convicted, was six months in prison or a $2,000 fine, or both.

http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2008/12/18/7787636-sun.html