Ex-kennel worker who abused dog sentenced to house arrest

CANADA -- Abusing a five-month-old boxer puppy for an hour, causing it to cough and vomit blood several times, has landed a former Calgary dog daycare worker under house arrest for 60 days.

Provincial court Judge Sharon Van de Veen said Thursday it was a severe case of cruelty, but noted Marc-Olivier Labonte's young age at the time (19), his guilty plea, regret and lack of training, for not sending him to jail.

"The accused's use of excessive force was driven largely by frustration, anger and retaliation," said the judge. "He misread the pup's behaviour from the beginning.

"When the dog first approached the other dogs his tail was wagging, and when he contacted them he was a pup trying to play.

"The pup was not aggressive throughout the incident but was curious and playful, except when he was wrongly mistreated by the accused."

[Does this judge work for the defense? What a bunch of crap. Let's see this judge's daughter start dating this guy and see if the judge continues to defend him.]

Van de Veen also prohibited Labonte from owning any animals, except for a cat he already has, for a year.

A surveillance video played in court last month shows the extensive abuse Labonte inflicted on the puppy named Apollo on Sept. 12, 2012, while working for Chasin' Tails.

(Calgary Herald - July 18, 2014)