A Richmond man accused of brutally stabbing his three-year-old Pomeranian 61 times has been charged with animal cruelty.
Artyom Goncharuk, 27, has been charged under the Criminal Code and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act following a BCSPCA investigation carried out last September.
Richmond RCMP were called to Goncharuk’s home on Sept. 15 last year, where the lifeless body of the dog, named Kaylly, was found. The RCMP then turned over the file to SPCA investigators.
“The necropsy results show that an extremely disturbing level of violence was inflicted on this poor dog,” said Marcie Moriarty, chief prevention and enforcement officer for the BCSPCA.
Goncharuk was arrested last week in connection with the charges.
If convicted, he faces up to five years in jail, a maximum fine of $75,000 and a potential lifetime ban on owning animals.
