A group of protesters gathered outside North Vancouver provincial court Tuesday morning, saying they want to make sure the Whistler sled dogs aren't forgotten when the man accused of killing them inhumanely goes to court.
"We want to make sure the dogs are represented and they're not forgotten," said Marley Daviduk with the Vancouver Animal Defence League, who with five other protesters held up signs on the courthouse steps.
"We're tired of seeing animal abusers get away with a couple-hundred-dollar fine and a slap on the wrist," she said. "We're here because we want maximum penalties. We want to see jail time."
Former Whistler sled dog tour operator Robert Fawcett faces one charge of causing unnecessary pain and suffering to more than 50 sled dogs in the high-profile animal cruelty case.
Safety concerns prompted a judge to move the case from Pemberton to North Vancouver provincial court last month, after Fawcett received threats. A spokesman for Crown prosecutors said security concerns would be easier to address in North Vancouver.
Though a number of spectators turned out for the case on Tuesday, Fawcett wasn't there. Instead, his lawyer Greg Diamond and prosecutor Nicole Gregoire asked that the case be adjourned to later this summer so that they can exchange more information. A pre-trial conference has been set for Aug. 16.
An international public outcry was sparked last year after grisly details about the sled dog killings were leaked when Fawcett filed a successful WorkSafe BC claim. Fawcett said he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after killing the dogs at the request of his employer.
A man by the name of Bob Fawcett also posted details of what happened on a website dedicated to post-traumatic stress disorder, describing how he shot or slit the throats of the dogs, who he regarded as his "friends." An investigation by the SPCA and RCMP led to 56 dogs being dug up from a mass grave near Whistler.
Outside the court, Daviduk said the case is a black eye for Canada and the Whistler Olympics. "We need to set some standards to show the world we do take animal abuse seriously and you can't get away with murder here," she said.
After news of the Whistler sled-dog killing became public, the provincial government brought in new regulations around sled dogs and tightened up the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Daviduk said she doesn't support the existence of a sled-dog industry. "Where are they getting their dogs from?" she said. "What are they doing with them when they're too sore or old to run?"
Daviduk said she intends to show up to every one of Fawcett's court dates.
