Windsor man given 3 days in jail for animal abuse

A Windsor man has been sentenced to three days in jail and has been banned from owning animals for 10 years after he was caught on elevator surveillance footage abusing an animal.

According to the Windsor-Essex County Humane Society, the abuse was caught on camera in November 2017. Humane society officers charged Michael Bernard under Ontario's animal cruelty laws with causing distress to an animal.

On Oct. 28, Bernard was sentenced to a 10-year ban on owning animals. He must also servethree days injail and pay a $500 fine.

The humane society said the victimized dog was never located.

In April 2017, the humane society said it was "disappointed" by a$500 fine given to a different man charged for abusing a dog in an elevator.

In that case, the man violently slammed thedog into an elevator wall also caught on elevator surveillance.

Humane society pleased with ownership ban

Melanie Coulter, executive director of the Windsor-Essex County Humane Society, said her organization was "pleased" to see an ownership ban imposed on Bernard.

"It shows that courts are taking it seriously and making sure that it's something to make sure that animals are protected in the future," she said.

Coulter added that a three-day jail sentence might not seem substantial, but it's a sign that courts are taking animal abuse cases more seriously.

She also pointed to anti-animal abuse legislation currently under review by Ontario lawmakers as evidence that the legal system is taking animal abuse more seriously.

"And so I think that trend is just continuing," said Coulter. "If that legislation passes, we'll likely see it continue."