Guilty plea expected in Whistler sled dog case
Posted August 16, 2012 3:38 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The legal case against the man accused of killing more than 50 sled dogs in Whistler could wrap up sooner than expected.
Robert Fawcett, who is charged with causing unnecessary pain and suffering to an animal, will be back in court on August 30.
The court docket says a guilty plea is expected.
“He is accused of killing inhumanely a number of sled dogs in January, 2010 in the Whistler area,” says BC SPCA animal cruelty investigator Marcie Moriarty. “A large investigation took place by the BC SPCA and as a result charges were laid against Mr. Fawcett.”
Fawcett could be sentenced to up to five years in prison if he is convicted.
Fawcett made his first appearance in Provincial Court in Pemberton where a large group of protesters had gathered.
The case was moved to North Vancouver for security reasons.
56 dogs were killed when the sled dog company Fawcett was working for saw a slump in business after the 2010 Olympics.
The BC SPCA found dozens of dead dogs in a mass grave.
“I think the scope of this particular case made it particularly egregious,” Moriarty says. “The descriptions set out in the WorkSafeBC documents and what was presented to Crown shows this was a very serious case and the potential sentence reflects that.”
None of the accusations against Fawcett have been proven in court.
