A New Brunswick man has been sentenced to one year behind bars for abandoning and leaving his dog to starve to death.
“Mr Springer, you failed totally in your obligations not only to the dog but to society in general,” Judge Julian Dickson stated Thursday, as he handed down Kyle Springer’s sentence in a Woodstock courtroom.
“With all due respect sir, there are no words in the English language that describe my disgust.”
READ MORE: N.B. man who pleaded guilty to starving dog back in custody awaiting sentencing
The facts of the case are disturbing. A Shepard-mix named Diesel was left in a mobile home with nothing to eat. A video taken by the landlady who discovered the dog’s body showed a house torn apart and the dog desperately looking for something to eat.
A necropsy found pieces of fabric and plastic in the dogs stomach, a sign he was desperate for food. The toilet bowl was bone dry.
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WATCH: Sentencing hearing for N.B. man who pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charge
Kyle Springer abandoned Diesel and moved west. He was arrested and charged with animal cruelty when he returned home for the holidays. Springer pleaded guilty in January.
The case caused public outcry, as hundreds banded together to “give Diesel a voice.”
“Now I feel like crying for Diesel,”explained animal activist Susan Henley.
“It’s the first time I felt there were tears to be shed and they’re tears of happiness.”
READ MORE: N.B. man faces possible jail term in cruelty death of dog left to starve
It was a packed courtroom as spectators took in the decision that spanned about 30 minutes.
“We can take a breath now. It’s Diesel’s day. That’s right. Hopefully the conviction is a deterrent to anyone who hurts an animal ever,” added Stephanie Thornton, also an animal activist.
Upon release, Springer will serve one year of probation and is prohibited from owning an animal for three years.
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