Sentencing for Calgary cat-killer delayed; advocates call for more fostering regulation
Posted Aug 29, 2023 3:12 pm.
Last Updated Aug 29, 2023 3:16 pm.
A woman who admitted to abusing nine cats, seven of which she killed, appeared in Calgary court Tuesday for her sentencing, only for it to be postponed to Sept. 15.
Aleeta Raugust, 26, could be handed the longest sentence for animal abuse ever recorded in Alberta history – possibly even Canadian history – at eight to 10 years.
In March she pleaded guilty to 10 charges, nine of which are related to animal abuse; she was approved to stand trial by a Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre doctor.
Reports indicate she could have more victims because she admitted to throwing some of the cats she adopted into the river.
With this case and a recent incident in Inglewood where a man was caught brutalizing a dog he was fostering for the Alberta Rescue Foundation, local animal rights’ advocates are speaking out.
“People should not be able just to adopt because they made an application, and it’s all good. There has to be more of a follow-up,” Heather Anderson, the founder of the Daisy Foundation, told CityNews.
“I really believe that in fostering … there’s got to be more emphasis put on what are these people really like. OK, they say they want to adopt this animal, but where are the references? Who can say that this person is actually a good person?”
As a result of the Aug. 15 incident in Inglewood, 40-year-old Lawrence Chow was handed several charges and a lifetime ban on owning animals.
Read More: Calgary police charge man in animal abuse investigation
Anderson says these cases show how critical it is that rescue agencies consider stricter adoption regulations.
“Unfortunately, animals can’t walk away. They can’t say, ‘I’m being abused, I’m out of here.’ Unfortunately, these animals who are being abused just continue to be abused because nobody follows through on any of it.”
She said it’s especially important as local animal rescues become increasingly desperate to house animals due to rising demand for services.
