Pet-Abuse.Com - Animal Abuse Case Details: 7 week old kitten neutered without anesthetic

7 week old kitten neutered without anesthetic
Halifax, NS (CA)

Incident Date: Saturday, Apr 22, 2006
Disposition: Convicted

Abuser/Suspect: Dennis Perreault

Case Updates: 6 update(s) available

Case ID: 8271

Classification: Mutilation/Torture

Animal: cat

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An agent with the province�s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty responded to a complaint Monday and arrived at a Herring Cove Road home to find "a seven-week-old kitten that had been mutilated." "It had its testicles cut out and most of its penis cut off" with a pair of scissors, Ms. Gass, President of the Nova Scotia SPCA said. "To neuter a kitten . . . without anesthetic, what�s worse than that?"

Gass stated the two veterinarians who operated on the male kitten later Monday � in an attempt to repair the damage done and save the young animal�s life � had never seen anything like it.

Dr. Shannon Lindsay and Dr. Pauline Giffin "developed a shunt and put a catheter in so that the kitten could urinate," she said. "It was all bloated." The recovering kitten is in Dr. Lindsay�s care, Ms. Gass said. "It�s surviving."

The SPCA has charged Dennis Perreault, 38, of 263 Herring Cove Rd. with four counts of cruelty to an animal under the Animal Cruelty Prevention Act and the Criminal Code, she said. If convicted, he could face jail time. Mr. Perreault could not be reached for comment Friday but he denied mutilating the kitten when speaking with a CTV reporter earlier in the day.

"The cat was like that, so they might have the wrong person," he said. "The charges are the charges, but I�m not the one who did it." He will appear in Halifax provincial court May 30 to enter pleas.

An SPCA agent returned to Mr. Perreault�s home and seized a second kitten � the victim�s seven-week-old sister. She didn�t appear to have been harmed but does have a respiratory problem, Ms. Gass said.

Case Updates

The Spryfield man who used scissors to snip off a kitten�s genitals last spring isn�t allowed to own an animal ever again, at least as long as he lives in Nova Scotia.

Dennis Perreault, 39, also faces three months of house arrest, two years� probation with mandatory counselling, a $400 fine and an order to make close to $2,400 in restitution for veterinary bills and other costs that went toward the care of seven-week-old Tigger.

Judge Anne Derrick handed down the sentence Friday in Halifax provincial court.

Mr. Perreault pleaded guilty last fall to two counts of animal cruelty for the horrific act that ended in the tiny black and white kitten�s death.

Crown attorney Susan MacKay said one charge was laid under the Criminal Code and the other under the provincial Animal Cruelty Prevention Act.

"Basically he caused the pain and then he permitted it to continue to be in distress," Ms. MacKay said.

She said Mr. Perreault agreed to the lifetime ban on having custody of animals while in this province. But the prohibition on his owning or having control of an animal does extend across the country for two years, Ms. MacKay added.

Mr. Perreault bought Tigger from a Halifax woman April 22, 2006. The kitten died less than two weeks later during an emergency operation to reconnect its urethra. Mr. Perreault had cut off the kitten�s testicles and part of its penis � without anesthetic � in front of his 10-year-old daughter.

Dartmouth lawyer Judith Gass, a longtime animal-welfare advocate, said she�s glad the justice system dealt with the matter, adding she agreed with the court ruling.

"The judge made a very reasoned decision," Ms. Gass told reporters.

Defence lawyer Peter Mancini had argued that Mr. Perreault suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from his work while a member of the navy recovering victims� remains after the Swissair Flight 111 crash in September 1998 and from a violent mugging that occurred shortly before he hurt the kitten.

But Ms. MacKay called Mr. Perreault�s treatment of the kitten "torturous" and "gratuitous cruelty."

She said Friday the case is a precedent-setting one that will likely be used nationwide in future animal cruelty cases.

"It�s very hard to find written precedents when you�re going to do research," she said of this type of case. "I expect that it will become a published decision and so other lawyers across Canada will be able to refer to it for guidance in other animal cruelty cases."

Ms. MacKay said she�s "very pleased" with Mr. Perreault being banned for life from having any animals while living in Nova Scotia.

"That was a concern that was expressed by all the veterinary people who were involved in the care of the cat," she said.

"The sentence reflects that the courts take animal cruelty very seriously in the province of Nova Scotia."

Source: The Chronicle Herald - Aprl 1, 2007
Update posted on Apr 2, 2007 - 10:04PM

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Dennis Perreault's sentencing hearing has been postponed until March 30, 2007, at 9:00 a.m. in Halifax Provincial Court, located at 5250 Spring Garden Road, in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Source: Halifax Provincial Court
Update posted on Mar 7, 2007 - 2:11PM

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Dennis Perreault, 38, pleaded guilty to two charges of animal cruelty in provincial court for cutting off the kitten's testicles and part of its penis. He reportedly suspects a mixture of stress, anger and painkillers made him castrate his daughter's seven-week-old kitten with scissors last May.

"I don't know what happened. I can't justify it," he said Wednesday, adding he was not trying to neuter the cat.

He will be sentenced March 6.

The kitten was bloated with backed-up urine when it arrived at the vet. Emergency surgery initially saved its life, but it died four days later of infection.

Perreault had adopted two kittens, a male and a female, for his 11-year-old daughter after responding to a newspaper ad offering the free cats. The female kitten has since been adopted again.

He had just undergone surgery to remove an infected bone from his jaw when he hurt the animal, he said.

"I was on antibiotics and different kinds of painkillers, there was a bit of stress in my life," he explained.

"I am ready to deal with the consequences."

He said he is most concerned about his daughter's feelings.

"I don't want to put her through any more suffering than she's been through. I want to show that I want to resolve the thing."

SPCA spokeswoman Judith Gass was relieved by Perreault's guilty plea.

"We had many, many, many, many calls on this case - it really saddened a lot of people," she said.

More than 1,100 people signed an online petition started by two local cat lovers who want to see Perreault go to jail.

Perreault's daughter has forgiven him, but he hasn't forgiven himself, he said, wringing his trembling hands as large tears dripped on the collar of his coat.

"I did not only hurt the cat, I hurt her, too."

Source: AZ Central - Dec 20, 2006
Update posted on Dec 20, 2006 - 10:27PM

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Dennis Perreault, the Spryfield man charged earlier this year with mutilating a kitten, sat quietly and avoided eye contact with animal rights advocates who sat on the opposite end of the same courtroom bench Tuesday.

During a brief appearance in Halifax Provincial Court, Mr. Perreault told Judge Barbara Beach he has an appointment with legal aid on Oct. 5.

The judge ordered Mr. Perreault to return to court Oct. 11.

Mr. Perreault is charged with four counts of animal cruelty.

The Crown alleges Mr. Perreault, 38, of Herring Cove Road, used scissors on a seven-week-old kitten in April to cut off its testicles and part of its penis without anesthetic.

The cat died four days later from an infection.

Source: The Chronicle Herald - Aug 23, 2006
Update posted on Aug 23, 2006 - 1:00PM

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A Spryfield man charged with mutilating a kitten�s genitals made his first court appearance Tuesday, with several animal lovers looking on in disgust.

Dennis Perreault, 38, allegedly used scissors on a seven-week-old kitten last month to cut off its testicles and part of its penis without anesthetic.

Mr. Perreault, who is charged with four counts of animal cruelty, refused to discuss the matter outside Halifax provincial court. But he has, in the past, denied mutilating the kitten.

"I don�t want to talk to you," the slight, goateed man said repeatedly as he left the courthouse to speak with friends, then walked up Spring Garden Road.

Glenda Amirault, who sits on the SPCA�s board of directors, described the incident as ""torture of the worst kind."

She stressed she was only giving her own opinion and not that of the SPCA.

She says anyone who commits this kind of crime should get the maximum penalty and be bannned from owning animals for life.

In court, Mr. Perreault waived the formal reading of the charges. Wearing a checked shirt and jeans, the Herring Cove Road resident indicated he plans to seek legal aid. He returns to court for plea Aug. 22.

The kitten Mr. Perreault allegedly mutilated was seized by authorities after someone complained to the SPCA. It died from an infection about four days later after veterinarians did emergency surgery.

Animal lover Lucinda MacLeod attended court with a stuffed toy cat in her arms.

"I just feel so bad for the kitten," Ms. MacLeod said. "There�s no reason, none at all, for this little guy to be hurt."

A lot of Nova Scotians were sickened by the kitten�s plight, said Judith Gass, past president of the SPCA.

"This was certainly a heartbreaking case because . . . we thought initially that we would be able to save the kitten and that just wasn�t possible," said Ms. Gass. "It just made everybody feel so sad."

After examining the evidence, Ms. Gass, a lawyer, said she believes the Crown "has a good case" against Mr. Perreault.

The crime carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $2,000 fine.

The SPCA has been lobbying for stiffer punishments, said Ms. Gass.

"But we simply haven�t been successful," she said. "The federal government just doesn�t seem interested."

The legal system needs "more teeth" to deal with this type of crime, said Caroline Barsellotti, an animal rights activist.

"This goes a little beyond simple animal cruelty," she said.

Source: The Chronicle Herald - May 31, 2006
Update posted on Jun 7, 2006 - 7:15PM

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kitten that captured the hearts of many Nova Scotians after suffering a horrific act of mutilation has died during efforts to repair the damage.

Someone had recently cut off the kitten's testicles and part of his penis - without anesthetic and apparently using a pair of scissors.

Emergency surgery last week saved its life, but on Thursday, during another surgery in Halifax, there was a setback and the eight-week-old kitten died.

Veterinarian Dr. Eric Carnegy said the kitten had suffered a lot of tissue damage.

"Unfortunately, it didn't have the blood circulation that it needed and it was deteriorating, and with that deterioration we got infections," Carnegy told CTV.

"And with the kitten being as tiny as it is, and with the immune system not really able to cope with all the stress and trauma that it went through, unfortunately the kitten passed away."

The sad case had touched people all over the province, many of whom had called the animal hospital and the SPCA with adoption offers.

Many also called or stopped by to volunteer cash toward the cost of the kitten's medical treatment.

Veterinarian Shannon Lindsay said earlier this week she understood why people were so outraged about the mutilation.

"People are horrified at this deliberate and wilful trauma to this little baby," she said.

Dennis Perreault, 38, of Halifax is charged with four counts of cruelty to an animal under the Animal Cruelty Prevention Act and the Criminal Code.

He is to enter pleas to the charges on May 30 in Halifax provincial court.

Source: AZCentral - May 4, 2006
Update posted on May 5, 2006 - 9:19AM

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References

	The Chronicle Herald - April 29, 2006
	Canadian Press - May 4, 2006
	The Chronicle Herald - May 5, 2006
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7 week old kitten neutered without anestheticHalifax, NS (CA)

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7 week old kitten neutered without anesthetic
Halifax, NS (CA)