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Victoria man fined for dragging dog behind bike

A Victoria man who injured a dog by dragging it behind him on his bicycle has been fined $250 and is not allowed to own any animal for two years.

A Victoria man who injured a dog by dragging it behind him on his bicycle has been fined $250 and is not allowed to own any animal for two years.

On Friday, Cole Thomas Vandewater pleaded guilty in Victoria provincial court to causing an animal to continue to be in distress.

Crown prosecutor Steve Fudge told the court the incident took place on Feb. 22, 2016, when Vandewater agreed to take a young dog — not his — from one place to another.

Vandewater was on his bicycle, Fudge said.

“He was not paying attention to the dog’s welfare and was pulling the dog along behind his bicycle,” he said.

The dog’s paws had abrasions as a result. People saw the bloody paw prints and reported the matter.

“This was not an intentional act to cause distress to this animal, but you were very careless in what you were doing,” Judge Robert Higinbotham said.

Higinbotham gave Vandewater six months to pay the fine and prohibited him from owning any animal for two years under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.