Skip to content

Man accused of dragging dog pleads not guilty

A man accused of driving down Hamilton Boulevard with his dog tethered to the vehicle’s bumper pleaded not guilty in Yukon court on Tuesday.

A man accused of driving down Hamilton Boulevard with his dog tethered to the vehicle’s bumper pleaded not guilty in Yukon court on Tuesday.

Twenty-eight-year-old Stanley Gostel is facing three charges under Whitehorse’s animal-control bylaw, said Mike Hardie, who is the investigating bylaw officer.

The incident happened in early February.

The dog, a Husky-cross, was dragged for three kilometers down the road before some motorists flagged the truck down.

The dog’s owner stopped and placed the injured animal in the back of the vehicle, witnesses told bylaw officers at the time.

The two-year-old dog’s face, torso, front right leg and hind leg were badly abraded.

Some of the wounds on his right side were so deep they revealed muscle tissue.

The dog ended up at the Mae Bachur Animal Shelter. There, staffers nicknamed him Trooper.

Almost three months later, Trooper is still recovering at the shelter.

Two of the charges Gostel faces carry $250 fines; the third is worth $200.

If convicted, Gostel could face a punishment similar to a criminal animal-cruelty charge because of a special provision in the city’s bylaw.

Also, the court could impose an order prohibiting the accused from owning an animal for up to two years.

The trial is slated to run in Yukon court on June 21.