‘We felt compelled to speak up:’ Nanoose Bay dog owners demand tougher animal cruelty laws

“There is that next element of the law needs to be changed…From a support angle there has been a lot of people saying ‘My goodness, your poor baby’ and ‘Is there anything we can do.’”

The Henkel’s 13-year-old dog Xaskaa has fully recovered after a veterinarian estimated he was just minutes from dying late in 2019.

Xaskaa’s only visible lasting trauma from several days of abuse is barking at people wearing dark hoodies, which the couple said was what Giroux regularly wore around their beloved pet.

Jayson said the lovable Xaskaa still relishes attention from strangers.

“It was amazing, people speak to how resilient and trusting dogs are. There’s been very little change, he’s very much an abnormal Malinois from what we understand because they’re supposed to be very shy and reserved except for with their owners.”

While the dog has recovered significantly, Milagros now has a severe distrust of people since their ordeal. She said Giroux gave them no reason to be suspicious after a friendship was formed with his parents.

She hopes Giroux has turned a rehabilitative corner, but said it’s important to create awareness of who he is and what he’s done since she believes he’s capable of more serious crimes.

“What if we never asked him to look after Xsakaa? What could have happened right? Maybe he would have attacked somebody else, we don’t know,” Milagros said.

Milagros actively shared news coverage of Giroux’s sentencing on dozens of targeted Facebook groups to further raise awareness.

NanaimoNewsNOW’s coverage of Giroux’s sentencing hearing led to a response from Humane Canada, the country’s largest animal welfare advocacy organization.

Hannah Brown, the agency’s criminal justice reform program manager, said evidence shows stricter punishments and strengthened rehabilitative programs are required for animal abusers.

“There’s a very clear link between abuse towards animals and violence towards human beings, and that was reflected in this case in the psychological report,” Brown said.

A psychiatrist determined Giroux is a moderate to high risk of family and intimate violence and a low to moderate risk for further harming animals or child physical abuse or neglect.

Brown said Canada’s judicial system treats animal abusers and humans separately, pointing out there’s numerous instances of offenders committing violence against people after illegally harming animals first.

She said pets are often abused in a domestic violence context after a victim reports physical harm inflicted by a partner.

Brown said more people adopting pets combined with negative affects of the pandemic will be problematic.

“With this combination of social isolation and more pets in the home, we’re likely to be experiencing problems that aren’t showing up straight away but will be soon,” Brown said.

Charges against Giroux of bestiality and killing or injuring an animal were dropped.

He was handed three years probation and banned from being around pets with the exception of his parents cats for the next 25 years.

Giroux expressed remorse, according to his lawyer, but the offender declined to address the court.

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On Twitter: @reporterholmes

by Ian Holmes

‘We felt compelled to speak up:’ Nanoose Bay dog owners demand tougher animal cruelty laws

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