Calgary woman who tortured and killed cats receives 6.5 years, Canada’s largest animal abuse sentence

Editor’s Note: This story contains disturbing details.

A Calgary woman who brutally tortured nine cats, killing seven of them, has received a six-and-a-half year sentence.

Aleeta Raugust’s sentence sets a benchmark for the longest animal abuse sentence in Canadian history, eclipsing the previous mark of three years.

In March, the 26-year-old pleaded guilty to nine charges involving animal abuse as well as a charge of threatening to damage property. She told police in January that she intended to burn down her former residence on 20th Avenue Southwest. During sentencing arguments, the Crown had requested Raugust be sentenced to eight to 10 years in custody as well as a life-long prohibition from owning animals.

Justice Mike Dinkel indicated such a sentence would likely be too severe.

“You’re going to have to tell me at some point how that is not unduly harsh,” Justice Mike Dinkel told the Crown, “Maybe she should be in jail forever because she’s a psychopath, but I can’t do that. I can’t sentence her for fear of doing crimes in the future.”

In her psychological assessment, Raugust was deemed an impulsive psychopath with little remorse. The Crown said public safety is paramount in this case.

Raugust had informed police that she had purchased the cats and kittens through postings on Kijiji, the online marketplace, between 2018 and early 2023. She said she bought the animals with the intention of killing them.

Raugust told investigators and psychiatrists that she recorded the killings and repeatedly watched them as it gave her pleasure. She also left some of the bodies of the cats in public places and watch the reactions of those who made the grisly discoveries.

The Crown read a statement from Raugust’s mother asking them to detain her daughter saying she can’t understand her daughter’s offences and “I fear that if she is released she will commit more horrific crimes.”

In his decision, Justice Dinkel said the total calculated sentence for the ten counts would have exceeded 12 years, but he elected to reduce the total to ensure the sentence wasn’t “crushing for a youthful offender.”

Taking into consideration her time already spent in custody, Raugust is to serve another five-and-a-half years.