Man jailed for beating his dog
Warrant issued for man who is now back in his home country of Nepal
A man caught on video repeatedly beating his dog has been sentenced to nine months in jail.
“It is one of the most cowardly, and disgusting behaviours I have ever seen,” said justice of the peace Peter J. Hiscox after viewing the video Monday in Ontario Court of Justice in Peterborough.
Deep Bista, who earlier pleaded guilty to three counts of causing distress to an animal, was not in court when he was sentenced to 90 days in jail for each count. Bista is back in his home country of Nepal and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
“It is not acceptable behaviour here or anywhere else,” Hiscox said.
The Ontario SPCA started to investigate last fall when the property manager of an Aylmer Street building captured the violent abuse on surveillance cameras in the stairwell of the apartment on Sept. 12.
A veterinarian examined the dog and he was taken away from Bista and his girlfriend.
“Remarkably, the dog did not seem to sustain any long-term injuries,” said provincial prosecutor Andrew Fordham.
On three separate occasions, Bista is seen punching, kicking, dragging and choking the threeyear-old Great Dane named D.J. On one occasion, the abuse caused the dog to urinate.
“Appalling sickening, and disturbing,” Fordham said when describing the conduct in the video.
The video shows no aggression from the dog, he added.
“The victim is a defenceless animal,” he explained.
“And (he was beaten) for no visible reason.”
Bista’s counsel Angela McGrath read a statement on her client’s behalf. He asked for a second chance, explaining that he was going through a difficult time. Hiscox heard how Bista lost his job and went back to Nepal because of deaths in his family.
“I didn’t have intent to hurt him. I regret causing him pain,” Bista said in the letter, adding that he had D.J. since he was three months old and “truly loved him.”
Fordham told Hiscox that he should cast a shadow of sincerity on the apology letter because during an earlier court appearance Bista said he was going back to Nepal because of a heart condition. Considering he punched and kicked the dog, Hiscox added in his ruling that it was nonsense that Bista wrote that he didn’t intend to hurt the dog,
Bista was also given a life-time ban on owning an animal.
NOTE: View video at www. thepeterboroughexaminer.com.