Your Calgary Herald

Man pleads guilty in dog abuse case
Horrific Didsbury trial sparked petition for tougher laws
Dan Singleton, For The Calgary Herald
Published: Thursday, May 24, 2007

A 19-year-old man who admitted taking part in a horrific case of animal abuse last fall and lying to police in an attempt to cover it up will be sentenced Aug. 1.

Daniel Charles Haskett pleaded guilty Wednesday in Didsbury provincial court to charges of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and obstruction of police.

A Lab-collie cross named Daisy Duke was found severely injured on a Didsbury street on Oct. 7, 2006.

Reading from an agreed statement of facts, Crown prosecutor Gordon Haight said Haskett and a young offender -- who pleaded guilty last month to a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal -- decided to kill the dog, a Haskett family pet, after the young offender ran it over with his car.

"Haskett did not want to tell his mother (the dog's owner) because he was worried about his mother not liking (the young offender), and the two wanted to remain friends," said Haight.

After finding the dog "whimpering and cowering" under the vehicle, Haskett put a tow rope around its neck and dragged it into the garage.

The pair then placed a plastic bag over the animal's head.

When it resisted, Haskett duct-taped its mouth and legs. The young offender then struck the animal in the head with a shovel.

The animal was dragged several blocks and then run over a second time before being left on the street, where it was found by bystanders.

The attending veterinarian put the still-living animal down at the scene.

Haight said although Haskett did not drag the dog behind the car, he was party to that part of the offence.

The animal suffered numerous injuries, including a fractured skull, pelvis, lumbar spine, severe "road rash" on its body and profuse bleeding.

Police followed the blood trail to the home of Haskett, who told investigators the animal had run away. Haskett also subsequently advised the young offender to lie to police about the incident.

The young offender, who cannot be named, was sentenced on May 10 to two years of probation and ordered to complete 240 hours of community service.

Judge Ian Kirkpatrick on Wednesday ordered psychiatric and psychological reports for Haskett, who remains free on bail.

He faces a maximum possible sentence of six months in jail and/or a $2,000 fine on the animal cruelty charge.

Haskett did not speak during Wednesday's court session.

Following court, prosecutor Haight said he would not comment on the case until the pre-sentence reports are prepared.

Haskett's lawyer, Mark Takada of Calgary, said his client is remorseful.

"All along, he felt really badly about what happened," said Takada.

"It's not like they kidnapped the dog or they did something bad to someone else's dog.

"It started as an accident."

Following the animal's death, Didsbury resident Tamara Chaney collected more than 100,000 signatures on a petition calling for tougher animal abuse laws.

"I would like to see him punished to the full extent of the law," Chaney said Wednesday.

"I think about Daisy every day. It's very heartbreaking. I don't think there will ever be closure for me. It will be with me all the time."

About a dozen animal rights protesters were on hand for Wednesday's court session.