Gail Benoit to be sentenced on latest charges in January

Convicted animal abuser Gail Benoit will be sentenced on two new charges in January.

Last week Benoit pleaded guilty to charges under the province's Animal Protection Act, including selling kittens without a health certificate from a vet and refusing to give information to an inspector or peace officer.

A spokeswoman for the Public Prosecution Service said the Crown in the case is awaiting a pre-sentence report before determining what sentence to seek.

The maximum penalty is $50,000, six months in jail or some combination of the two.

In January 2009, Benoit was convicted of animal cruelty for selling sick and malnourished puppies. At first, she was barred from selling dogs, but that ban was later extended to buying, selling or giving away any animal. That ban has since ended.

Five years later, in June 2014, Benoit was sentenced to 15 months of probation for stealing and selling two dogs from a woman in New Brunswick. She was barred from buying or selling domestic or wild animals. That court order has expired as well.