A Saskatchewan man on trial for shooting his neighbour’s dog was found guilty Thursday in Saskatoon provincial court.
Eugene Krawchuk was found guilty of shooting a dog without lawful excuse and sentenced to 12 months probation. He was acquitted of carelessly using a firearm and of destroying the dog other than in a prescribed manner.
Court heard Krawchuk shot his neighbour’s St. Bernard puppy, Bentley, last April as the dog was trespassing on his pasture. He shot the dog despite pleas from Bentley’s 17-year-old owner, Lianne Price.
The judge said he didn’t believe Krawchuk’s testimony during the trial that the dog was attacking his livestock. Rather, the judge believed the dog was shot by Krawchuk either because the dog was trespassing, because of tension between the Krawchuks and the Price family, or because he was interrupted while playing a game of Candy Crush on his computer.
Both Krawchuk and his wife, Laurie, were found guilty of possessing a firearm without a licence. She was given a conditional discharge.
Krawchuk must also give the Price family $800 — the amount Lianne Price paid for Bentley — and donate $500 to the SPCA.
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with files from the Canadian Press
