An Esquimalt man has received a lifetime ban on owning animals after pleading guilty to animal cruelty.
Hubert Joseph Gus Henry, 33, was sentenced in Victoria provincial court after entering his plea. This follows the seizure of a female pit bull in May 2013.
The animal had been tied up outside without access to adequate food, water or shelter.
Henry was charged under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Criminal Code of Canada for animal neglect.
It’s not the first time Henry has faced animal cruelty charges. In 2009, he was charged in relation to the lack of care to two other pit bulls. Those dogs were also seized and placed in new homes.
Lynsay Bailey, SPCA special constable, said Thursday that lifetime bans are uncommon — the usual length of a ban is five to 10 years — but the judge in this case decided that Henry had not learned his lesson from the earlier conviction.
A concerned resident reported the situation since the dog was in plain view from the street, Bailey said.
She feels the lifetime ban might be a wakeup call to others who may be neglecting animals. Also, the serious sentence will open the door for judges to give similar penalties in future cases of animal cruelty, Bailey said.
— Times Colonist
