Trial dates have been set for an Ontario man charged last summer in connection with the deaths of 19 dogs.
Fifty-three-year-old Toby Cadotte sat in the back row at Supreme Court in St. John’s this morning, waiting for his case to be called.
And a few rows ahead of him, members of the no-kill animal rights group Rescue NL, who have been following the case closely since the charges were laid last July.
Cadotte faces 19 counts of willfully causing or permitting unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to each animal, including puppies. He’s also charged with one count of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
From left, Heather Ballard, Jennine Gosse and Karen Gibbons with Rescue NL. (VOCM News)
He was arrested on July 29 of last year following the grisly discovery in New Harbour, Trinity Bay. Police were called by someone who heard at least one gunshot, with Cadotte arrested nearby with the animals that night.
Today marked his first physical appearance in court, after several no-shows in Harbour Grace. He formally entered not guilty pleas to all charges with a two-week trial, before judge alone, set for November 3-14.
Outside the courtroom a somewhat irate Cadotte told VOCM News he’s received death threats since being charged, adding he looks forward to telling “the real story” at trial.
Rescue NL’s Heather Ballard, meanwhile, claims she already knows how it goes.
“I think we know most of the story, and we know he is responsible, and not just him,” she said outside the courthouse, with several other members of Rescue NL by her side sporting purple T-shirts that read: “Rest in Peace / The Never Forgotten Nineteen.”
“It’s just disgusting that he’s still claiming that he’s innocent. I mean, he knows what he did, but to still continue with this charade. Those dogs are dead and someone’s responsible.”
