"Man admits hitting pet with two-by-four

By KEVIN MARTIN, SUN MEDIA

 
Anger, not saving another pet's life, led a city man to bash his dog's head in with a two-by-four before stabbing it twice, a court heard yesterday.

Crown prosecutor Gord Haight said Robert Scott Gehring initially told police he critically injured the Chow-cross -- which later was euthanized -- last Dec. 10, to protect another dog.

But the claim wasn't true, Haight told provincial court Judge Frank Maloney.

Defence lawyer Bob Batting confirmed his client's original story to police about how his pet Pedro was injured was false.

Batting said Gehring had gone into his Ogden-area yard to feed the year-and-a-half old canine when the dog, which had bitten him once before, lunged at him.

But, Batting said because the animal was chained, it couldn't get to Gehring.

"My client's actions that followed were not in defence, he acknowledges that he simply lost his temper," Batting said.


"He grabbed a two-by-four that was close to where the dog was and he hit the dog with the two-by-four -- the dog appeared not to be fazed by this," the lawyer said.

Gehring then grabbed a knife which was sitting on his barbecue and stabbed the animal twice in the back.

"After he did this, he realized the gravity of his actions," Batting said.

The admitted dog abuser put Pedro and his other canine, German shepherd Duke, into his pickup and began driving to the Calgary Humane Society for help.

Unfortunately, along the way Gehring, distracted by Pedro trying to escape from the back seat, swerved into oncoming traffic and had a head-on collision.

No one was injured in the crash, but police responding to the accident found a bleeding Pedro outside the vehicle and bloodstained knife inside.

Batting said when Gehring gave his statement to police in January, he feared admitting the truth.

Maloney will hear sentencing submissions Feb. 6. "

How can anyone justify stabbing a dog because it lunged at you... it would only do so if it felt you a threat to it's safety... Can you justify it?

How can anyone justify stabbing a dog because it lunged at you... it would only do so if it felt you a threat to it's safety... Can you justify it?

Uh, it's pretty easy to justify stabbing a dog in general because it is lunging at you, because most people don't know what it is they're DOING to make the dog feel they're a threat. 

I'm not saying THIS case is justifiable (and neither does the man in question), but your comment at the end is a pretty weak argument.

As for this case, all I can really say is at least he was honest about it.  It was a terrible thing to do, but at least he came out and said so.

I don't know, some people can't control themselves when they're angry.

It's his own dog, and this wasn't the first time he had abused any of his pets, he stated that he had a tendancy to be violent towards the animals even if he didn't feel as though he were in danger. The animal was more afraid of him and for good reason. He hit the dog with a two by four and then stabbed him when there didn't seem to be a reason... and how do you get that pissed off that you would severly attack the dog.

My old dog wasn't friendly but he never was hit or hurt by anyone and to be honest if your dog is afraid of you then you should have surrendered it to someone who could properly take care.

IMHO this guy was not right in any which way reguardless if he said AFTER THE COURT DATE that it was wrong for him to have done that... I am sure he wouldn't have cared an inch at all if he hadn't been caught. I can't honestly justify abusing someone or something just because I felt like it was lunging to attack me... I would use force as a last resort not a reflex.

He was not right he was just insane or something like that.

Now I ask you, can we allow this kind of people who can't control themselves to live together with more normal people?

He was not right he was just insane or something like that.

Now I ask you, can we allow this kind of people who can't control themselves to live together with more normal people?

I'd think not, if he gets suddenly mad and attacks his own dog imagine what he would do to another person...

The article said the dog wouldn't have been able to get to him because it was chained so there was no nead to bash it.

What unique type of discussion will this topic even generate?
The only possible comments are "That poor dog," "that man was right" or "who cares."

Dude I am getting pretty tired of this sort of replies. if you cannot conceive how to respond to a thread then perhaps you should just not post!
not to say that this is the best of threads prize winner 2007 but we really could do with less topic police.

That being said I would like to think that there's a much higher mental threshold in place for harming a human being out of lost temper, though it really is kind of unnerving that this guy's reaction to a chained dog jumping at him was two swift stabs to the back. It appears that it can be (and was) chalked up to momentary insanity though so I would prefer to avoid stigmatizing the dude. Where did you hear that he was a repeat animal abuser chanicakes?

why would you get a chow if you cant control dogs

chows are known really difficult dogs to raise and i doubt chow cross are much better

i dont get why people like this get the dogs they get.

As a pet owner and a person that generally likes animals, this angers me. Yes, animals are capable of vicious things, but the animal was chained. Did anything warrant a beating by a two by four and getting stabbed twice?

I thought it was going to be one of those general studies that give a really obvious conclusion like PEOPLE ENJOY EATING FOOD

But yeah that's pretty terrible what an asshat

Edit: Are there laws that are like the sex offender thing where you have to declare "I'm a dog-killing asshat" to the whole neighborhood

I don't know why anyone would want a fucking dog. Caaats are way better.

Or snails.

I don't know why anyone would want a fucking dog. Caaats are way better.

Or snails.

Right on.

why would you get a chow if you cant control dogs
chows are known really difficult dogs to raise and i doubt chow cross are much better
i dont get why people like this get the dogs they get.

people tend to pick things that are similiar to them!

also dada the news story isn't interesting but it raises interesting discussion!
if i was suddenly really angry at a dog i'd hit or kick it, i wouldn't go away, get something to hurt it with and come back. by that time i wouldn't be angry anymore

people tend to pick things that are similiar to them!

also dada the news story isn't interesting but it raises interesting discussion!
if i was suddenly really angry at a dog i'd hit or kick it, i wouldn't go away, get something to hurt it with and come back. by that time i wouldn't be angry anymore

so why do cat ladies pick about 43 proud and selfish cats