CALGARY — A Calgary landlord who killed his tenants' dog over late rent has been sentenced to one year in jail.
Robert Nicholson was also given 18 months of probation, banned from owning animals or weapons for five years and ordered to undergo counselling.
The body of Chevy, a border collie cross, was found buried in the backyard of a Calgary home in March 2015.
Nicholson told police he had accidentally hit the dog with his vehicle, euthanized the injured animal and buried it.
An agreed statement of facts said Nicholson, 36, was in a rage when he broke down the door of his tenants' suite, chased the dog, hit it in the head with an axe, stabbed it several times and then slashed its neck, letting it bleed to death.
Animal rights supporters were pleased with sentence.
“I’m very happy he got time, and I’m very happy the judge did not listen to his whining about that he is ADHD and that’s the reason that he did this horrific thing,” said Heather Anderson of the Daisy Foundation.
“People who do these sorts of things to animals should be prosecuted in the highest, and I am glad to see that people are starting to realize that animals are just like us and I believe that they should be protected like we are.”
In November, Nicholson pleaded guilty to one count of causing harm to an animal.
"I have great regret," Nicholson said at the time. "I think about this every day and every night. I'm so terribly sorry."
