Animal cruelty cases always make national headlines and the arrest of a 19-year-old man in Calgary this week was no exception.
The Canadian Press reported that Nicolino Ivano Camardi is facing charges of wilfully causing unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to an animal after a four-month investigation by the Calgary Humane Society. In early January, a starved dog was found dead, its muzzle covered in tape. A dead cat was found in the same area a week later. Green painter's tape covered most of its face. Both animals were bought on the online classified site Kijiji several months before they were found, investigators say.
The charges have inflamed animal rights advocates across the country, who are demanding more than a slap on the wrist if Camardi is found guilty.
One of those advocates closely watching this case is Miranda Schmold. The 2011 UNBC graduate is just wrapping up her law degree at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops and is part of the law school's first graduating class. While there, Schmold, a member of the Lheidli T'enneh, was president of the Indigenous Law Students Association and was part of another student group called Law Students In Defense of Animal Rights.
"I went to law school for animals because I always wanted to be a vet but I wasn't strong in math and science," she said. "I focused on aboriginal law but my ideal would be to focus on animal rights law."
As a result, she's quite familiar with Section 445 of the Criminal Code of Canada, the section Camardi has been charged under. She feels the section doesn't have much teeth and the bite it does have hasn't been applied enough.
"The cruelty to animals section is under a section dealing with property and that's a problem to start with," she said. "Animals are more than a couch, that can be thrown away when it gets old."
She's also not fond of how Section 445 has been applied over the years. A summary conviction comes with a maximum 18 months in jail and a $10,000 fine. An indictable offence, however, could lead to a maximum of five years in prison.
"That's been rarely applied and if people aren't going to get the stiff punishment, it's not a deterrent and people keep on doing this."
The humane society took the extra step of releasing Camardi's picture to the public, even though he has not had the chance to defend himself of the charges in court. While Schmod understands Camardi as a defendant has a right to privacy and a fair trial, she notes that the photo was pulled from Facebook.
"I think posting the photo is excellent because it's putting a face to things."
Schmod gets frustrated when people see an increase to animal rights, particularly under the law, as a threat to human rights. She believes all life should be valued and greater legal protection for animals is better for animals and humans alike.
Schmod plans to continue to follow the case through the courts as she heads off to Victoria to begin articling with the Ministry of Justice. If there's one thing she's learned in law school that she plans to apply to her career as a lawyer, it's that the law isn't frozen in place.
"I respect the law but it's evolving and there's always room for improvement."
Many law enforcement professionals are interested in animal abuse cases, particularly by young men, because animal cruelty has been well-documented as an early indicator of violent psychopathic behavior directed towards humans in later years. Schmold finds that link interesting and important but she stresses that the animal victims of the original crime shouldn't be forgotten.
"They don't have a voice, so it's up to us to be their voice."
