Watch above: man guilty of shooting and killing neighbour’s dog
SASKATOON- A feud between Saskatchewan neighbours has been put to rest, for now. Thursday, Eugene Krawchuk was found guilty on two counts, following an incident on April 11, 2013 which led to the shooting death of his neighbour’s dog when into wandered into his pasture in the RM of Grant, northeast of Saskatoon.
Facing a total of four counts, Krawchuk was found guilty of shooting the dog without lawful excuse and possessing a firearm without license. He was found not guilty of using a firearm in a careless manner and destroying a dog other than in the prescribed manner.
“I don’t think they’ve realized how much they’ve destroyed our family, they ripped a piece of our heart out,” said Michael Price, the dog’s owner.
“There’s been a lot of tears, every time a picture is shown or the girls look at a picture of Bentley, they have a big cry it’s as simple as that.”
The Price family says they’ve been harassed by the Krawchuk’s for years but the death of their dog, the “gentle giant,” at the hands of their neighbours was the last straw.
“I’m fed up with bullies, I’m fed up with bullies and that’s all they are bullies.”
During the trial, Price’s teenage daughter Lianne Price took the stand and told the courtroom at the time of the incident she headed into the Krawchuk’s pasture to get her dog Bentley who had wandered there.
She begged Eugene Krawchuk not to shoot the eight-month-old canine and that at one point, the dog ran behind her. Lianne told the courtroom that Krawchuk had his rifle drawn and was following the dogs movements. “I was scared … I screamed.”
Krawchuk was sentenced to 12-months probation and has to pay the price family $800 for the dog and $500 to the SPCA.
“We think we got justice today, hopefully this will stop all the abuse that has been happening, not just to us but to the whole community because one way or another everybody has suffered in our community,” said Michael Price.
“I would have wanted to see jail time, can’t say it was the best result for us but I think it was the best that we could possibly get.”
Laurie Krawchuk was earlier found guilty of possessing a firearm without a licence and received a conditional discharge with 12-months probation.
The Price family says while they’re hopeful there were lessons learned from this trial, they have their doubts. The Krawchuks are to have no direct or indirect contact with the family and no comment was made on their behalf by their lawyer.
Meanwhile, Michael Price is due back in provincial court on March 31 where he is facing an assault charge stemming from the same incident.
Comments