Not guilty plea for man charged with dragging dog behind truck
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 | 5:34 PM CT
CBC News
A Whitehorse man accused of dragging a husky-cross dog behind his truck for three kilometres pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of animal cruelty.
Appearing in court Tuesday morning, Stanley Gostel, 28, entered not guilty pleas on three counts of cruelty under the city's animal control bylaw.
Trooper, the injured husky, seen here in February, continues to recover from injuries at a Whitehorse animal shelter.
(CBC)
The charges stemmed from an incident in early February, in which the husky-cross was allegedly dragged behind a truck halfway down Hamilton Boulevard in Whitehorse. At the time of the arrest, police said the dog had been tied to the bumper and dragged down to the intersection of Hamilton and the Alaska Highway.
The dog, which has been nicknamed Trooper, was then abandoned outside the Copper Road Veterinary Clinic, where it was found on Feb. 11 and brought to the Mae Bachur Animal Shelter. It had raw paws and large chunks of fur missing from its body. Police eventually tracked Gostel down and charged him.
The trial for Gostel, who has decided to represent himself in court, is scheduled to start June 21. If Gostel is convicted, city counsel Lori Lavoie said a court order will be sought to ban him from owning pets for two years.
Meanwhile, officials at the Mae Bachur Animal Shelter told CBC News on Tuesday that Trooper is doing very well considering the ordeal.
The dog's wounds have almost fully healed and it is slowly regaining its confidence around strangers.
Trooper will remain at the shelter until the court case ends, when bylaw officers can determine whether Trooper will be adopted out or returned to his owner.
