A man accused of brutally stabbing his three-year-old Pomeranian 61 times has been charged with animal cruelty. Criminal Code and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act charges were laid against 27-year-old Artyom Goncharuk of Richmond following a BC SPCA investigation carried out last September.

Richmond RCMP were called to Goncharuk’s residence on Sept. 15, where the lifeless body of the dog, named Kaylly, was found. The RCMP turned over the file to SPCA investigators.

“The necropsy results show that an extremely disturbing level of violence was inflicted on this poor dog,” says Marcie Moriarty, chief prevention and enforcement officer for the BC SPCA. Goncharuk was arrested last week in connection with the charges.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in jail, a maximum fine of $75,000 and a potential lifetime ban on owning animals.

The British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a not-for-profit organization reliant on public donations. Our mission is to protect and enhance the quality of life for domestic, farm and wild animals in B.C.