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Man found guilty of abusing animals
by The Daily Herald
Posted: Mar 8, 2006 15:01 UTC
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PHILIPSBURG - An owner of three dogs and three cats was found guilty by the Court Tuesday of abusing and neglecting his animals.
The judge gave Garvey Kim Mathias Courtar (28) a suspended prison sentence of three months and two years’ probation. He will also have to pay a fine of US $2,000 to animal rights foundation Animals R Friends, which was instrumental in bringing this case to the Court. The man’s animals will be confiscated.
The maximum penalty for animal abuse is 6 months.
“This is a big day for us,” said Monique Hofman-Ruigrok, President of Animals R Friends, before the hearing in this case on Tuesday afternoon. She and some other members of the Foundation witnessing the proceedings from the gallery were not disappointed. Judge Frank Wieland followed Prosecutor Dikran Sarian in his demand and found Courtar guilty as charged.
“Animals don’t have a voice. They can’t speak for themselves. They can’t complain when they are being abused. We have to do that for them,” Hofman said Tuesday.
The case is more than a year old. Courtar was arrested on February 28, 2005.
The dogs were discovered behind the former Midass Muffler Building on Union Road in Cole Bay. Besides a dead dog, another was also chained in the yard and a third was chained and locked in a cage. The cats were locked in a carrying container and were apparently used to bait the dogs so they would become more aggressive in preparation for the dog-fight ring. All of the animals were emaciated and malnourished.
For the training, the dogs were tied to a makeshift treadmill and urged to run by a cat that was tied in front of them, according to reports. Courtar, who worked at a pet shop, vehemently denied he had anything to do with dog-fighting. “I love my animals,” he said. He also denied the allegation that he hadn’t taken good care of his animals. “I visited my pets twice a day and I also cleaned their kennels,” he told the Judge on Tuesday.
According to the Prosecutor, everything pointed to the fact that Courtar kept his dogs for fights. “He is not the animal lover he’s posing to be,” he said.
According to Courtar’s lawyer Daniel Post, there was no proof the dogs took part in fights. “The dog that died was already nine years old. Besides, the dogs weren’t real pit bulls, but only half-breeds, and two of them were only three months old and therefore too young to fight,” Post said. He further said neglect could also not be proven and therefore pleaded for the total acquittal of his client.
The judge had no doubts whatsoever that Courtar had taken his dogs to fights and considered all counts proven. “Animals can’t complain and speak for themselves. It is very good that foundations like Animals R Friends are keeping an eye open,” Wieland said before handing down his verdict
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