A man accused of brutally beating his girlfriend’s dog in 2016 has pleaded guilty in a Vancouver court. John David McCordic was sentenced to a seven-year ban on having custody or control of animals and a $4,000 fine.
The BC SPCA received a call on May 18, 2016 regarding security footage from the underground parking garage of a building on East Hastings Street that captured images of the heinous attack. “This was such a disturbing case,” says Eileen Drever of the BC SPCA. “This poor animal was clearly in such pain and distress, and was helpless to escape her attacker.” Drever says the dog, a Bouvier named Bear who was 11 years old at the time of the attack, was already blind and partially deaf.
The video footage shows McCordic repeatedly lifting Bear several feet into the air by her legs and slamming her onto the concrete. He is also observed stomping on her paws and head as she tries to escape, kicking her in the face several times and laughing as she struggles. “I think one of the cruelest parts of the video is that he would start to pet her and she would be encouraged and would come to him, only to have the beatings begin again,” says Drever.
The BC SPCA immediately seized Bear and rushed her for emergency treatment of her injuries.
“In addition to the injuries inflicted by the beatings, she also had some on-going health issues, but we were able to adopt her into a wonderful new home,” says Drever. “She lived an amazing life surrounded by love for four years, before she passed away peacefully earlier this year at the age of 15.” Drever says the BC SPCA is so grateful that Bear got to experience a loving home in her final years.
The BC SPCA conducts more than 8,000 animal cruelty investigations each year, funded by community donations.