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By: Alex Consiglio GTA, Published on Tue Mar 12 2013
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The raccoon saga of Dong Nguyen finally ended Tuesday.
Nguyen, 55, pleaded guilty at Old City Hall court to beating three baby raccoons with a shovel, probably killing one and breaking another’s foreleg, because they were destroying his garden in 2011.
He had made 19 court appearances before the Crown and his defence lawyer Peter Scully struck a deal by which a dangerous weapons charge was withdrawn and he received a conditional discharge on the charge of cruelty to animals.
Nguyen must pay $1,365 in restitution to Procyon Wildlife, where the raccoon with the broken foreleg was treated, and he must complete 100 hours of community service at a humane society shelter.
Scully and the Crown suggested 40 hours of community service, but Justice Marvin Zuker bumped it to 100.
“It’s just plain ignorant to kill defenceless baby raccoons,” said Zuker. “This man should work with animals for 100 hours to gain empathy toward defenceless creatures who cannot respond except for in pain.”
Nguyen declined to comment outside court afterwards.
York University biology professor Suzanne MacDonald, a raccoon expert who produced the CBC documentary Raccoon Nation, said people must learn to live with raccoons in Toronto.
“There’s no way to get rid of them,” she said. “It’s impossible.” The Ministry of Natural Resources pegs Toronto’s raccoon population at about 100 per square kilometre.
Pest control companies may trap raccoons but can’t relocate them more than one kilometre away, which means they’ll be right back, MacDonald said.
“The goal should be to reduce conflict,” she said. “So don’t beat them with shovels.”
Toronto Animal Services supervisor Fiona Venedam said residents can reduce conflict by employing a number of useful tricks:Secure your garbage, cut tree branches that overhang homes, cover access holes to garages or attics, cover grape vines with wire mesh, maybe even sprinkle some oil of mustard around your property to deter them, she said.
“It’s more of a community effort than anything,” she said.
Venedam said motion-sensor sprinklers or lights can help keep raccoons out of gardens, and emphasized routinely emptying barbecue grease pans in the summer.
“And if they’re after grubs in your lawn, sprinkle detergent on the lawn, rinse it and it’ll kill the grubs,” she said.
Will Smith, owner of Raccoon Guys, a Toronto Pest control company, said Tuesday that he’s already fully booked this week. “It’s been non-stop,” he said, adding he relocates raccoons. “They’ll come back, but we seal the entry point so they can’t get back in.”
Nguyen attacked the raccoons in his backyard, at his home near Bloor St. W. and Lansdowne Ave., in June 2011, the end of breeding season.
Prosecutor Cara Sweeny said the mother raccoon was seen carrying two motionless 3-month-old babies afterwards, one likely dead, and animal services rescued the third baby after a neighbour phoned police.
“The accused continued to attack the raccoons with the sole purpose of causing pain and suffering,” Sweeny said.
Cynthia Post, the head veterinarian at Procyon Wildlife, said the injured baby raccoon was released back into the wild in the same area after three months of care.
“We get a lot of injured animals, but usually from being hit by cars, not because they were beaten with a shovel,” she said. “There was a lot of swelling and pain, but she healed up quickly.”
http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/20...l_cruelty.html
LOL at "raccoon expert"
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The raccoon saga of Dong Nguyen finally ended Tuesday.
Nguyen, 55, pleaded guilty at Old City Hall court to beating three baby raccoons with a shovel, probably killing one and breaking another’s foreleg, because they were destroying his garden in 2011.
He had made 19 court appearances before the Crown and his defence lawyer Peter Scully struck a deal by which a dangerous weapons charge was withdrawn and he received a conditional discharge on the charge of cruelty to animals.
Nguyen must pay $1,365 in restitution to Procyon Wildlife, where the raccoon with the broken foreleg was treated, and he must complete 100 hours of community service at a humane society shelter.
Scully and the Crown suggested 40 hours of community service, but Justice Marvin Zuker bumped it to 100.
“It’s just plain ignorant to kill defenceless baby raccoons,” said Zuker. “This man should work with animals for 100 hours to gain empathy toward defenceless creatures who cannot respond except for in pain.”
Nguyen declined to comment outside court afterwards.
York University biology professor Suzanne MacDonald, a raccoon expert who produced the CBC documentary Raccoon Nation, said people must learn to live with raccoons in Toronto.
“There’s no way to get rid of them,” she said. “It’s impossible.” The Ministry of Natural Resources pegs Toronto’s raccoon population at about 100 per square kilometre.
Pest control companies may trap raccoons but can’t relocate them more than one kilometre away, which means they’ll be right back, MacDonald said.
“The goal should be to reduce conflict,” she said. “So don’t beat them with shovels.”
Toronto Animal Services supervisor Fiona Venedam said residents can reduce conflict by employing a number of useful tricks:Secure your garbage, cut tree branches that overhang homes, cover access holes to garages or attics, cover grape vines with wire mesh, maybe even sprinkle some oil of mustard around your property to deter them, she said.
“It’s more of a community effort than anything,” she said.
Venedam said motion-sensor sprinklers or lights can help keep raccoons out of gardens, and emphasized routinely emptying barbecue grease pans in the summer.
“And if they’re after grubs in your lawn, sprinkle detergent on the lawn, rinse it and it’ll kill the grubs,” she said.
Will Smith, owner of Raccoon Guys, a Toronto Pest control company, said Tuesday that he’s already fully booked this week. “It’s been non-stop,” he said, adding he relocates raccoons. “They’ll come back, but we seal the entry point so they can’t get back in.”
Nguyen attacked the raccoons in his backyard, at his home near Bloor St. W. and Lansdowne Ave., in June 2011, the end of breeding season.
Prosecutor Cara Sweeny said the mother raccoon was seen carrying two motionless 3-month-old babies afterwards, one likely dead, and animal services rescued the third baby after a neighbour phoned police.
“The accused continued to attack the raccoons with the sole purpose of causing pain and suffering,” Sweeny said.
Cynthia Post, the head veterinarian at Procyon Wildlife, said the injured baby raccoon was released back into the wild in the same area after three months of care.
“We get a lot of injured animals, but usually from being hit by cars, not because they were beaten with a shovel,” she said. “There was a lot of swelling and pain, but she healed up quickly.”
http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/20...l_cruelty.html
LOL at "raccoon expert"