Pasadena dog owner relieved as police charge youth with killing animal
Youth will appear in provincial court at later date
A Pasadena woman says she's still traumatized by the death of her dog in late October, but is thankful charges have now been laid in relation to his death.
Terri Clancey's two-year-old shih-poo, Jaycee, went missing on Oct. 24. The dog was later found dead, according to police.
On Friday, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary laid three charges against a youth in connection with the dog's death — theft under $5,000, wilfully killing a dog without a lawful excuse and wilfully causing an animal unnecessary pain or suffering.
"I was hoping and praying that we would get to that point, and we did," Clancey told CBC News in an interview on Friday.
"I feel a sense of relief. There's a little bit of closure. I'm really, really sad. Still really, really sad about everything, and I suspect I will be for a very long time. I'm traumatized."
Clancey said Jaycee was an affectionate dog who loved people and wanted to be with his owners wherever he went.
The youth is scheduled to appear in provincial court at a later date. Although it will be challenging, Clancey said she plans to attend.
"My goal when I go to the court appearances is to highlight how serious this is," she said.
"If you're capable of killing an animal, you know, things can escalate."
Clancey shared posts online about Jaycee leading up to the charges being laid.
RNC Const. James Cadigan, the force's media relations officer, said that public engagement is always helpful when it comes to a police investigation.
"We certainly rely on collaborating with our community when we're gathering information," Cadigan said.
"At this stage in this investigation, we did have grounds to lay a charge in connection with the death of that animal."
Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.