Man accused in sled dog slaughter likely to enter plea in North Van court by end of the month
The lawyer defending one of the largest cases of animal cruelty in the country told a North Vancouver Provincial court judge Thursday his client will enter a plea to the court by the end of the month.
Greg Diamond is the Whistler lawyer representing Robert T. Fawcett, the man accused of killing as many as 100 sled dogs in a mass slaughter in Whistler in April 2010.
Diamond gave no indication to the court how Fawcett would plead, but told Judge Steven Merrick that as of Thursday morning he had obtained the final documents required to properly advise his client.
The case will proceed to an arraignment hearing on Aug. 30 where Fawcett and his lawyer are expected to enter a plea on the charge of causing unnecessary pain and suffering to an animal.
Fawcett was the operator of Howling Dogs Tours Whistler, a sled-dog tour company which found itself financially over-extended in the post-2010 Olympics tourism lull.
Fawcett allegedly described shooting and stabbing the dogs in a WorkSafeBC claim for post-traumatic stress in the days following the incident.
Those details led to international outcry from animal rights groups and even brought death threats against Fawcett. Those threats were cause for the trial to be moved from the provincial court in Pemberton to the more secure North Vancouver courthouse.
tcoyne@northshoreoutlook.com
@toddcoyne
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