Minnie conviction concerns

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More than a year after the Lincoln County Humane Society picked up an emaciated dog in St.Catharines, its owners have been convicted of animal cruelty.

Minnie was just skin and bones when the Lincoln County Humane Society found her behind a plaza in St.Catharines over a year ago. Veterinarian Lisa Hutchison cared for Minnie when she first arrived. The French Mastiff mix weighed just 45 pounds which is less than half of what she should have weighed. It took 2 months to nurse Minnie back to health before she was adopted.

On April 5th, 2016 Minnie’s former owners Tyr Laffrenier and Joshua Anthony Legacy of St.Catharines were found guilty of not providing proper medical care. They both received a $1000 fine, one year probation and were ordered to pay the human society about $200 in fees. The court also banned the two from owning animals for 5 years, aside from their 2 cats and 2 dogs they already own.

Pet owners say the punishment for animal abuse cases are not tough enough. However, the Humane Society says a guilty plea usually receives a softer penalty. If Minnie’s owners went to trial they could have been banned from owning pets for life.