Suspect in cruelty case of cat shot 17 times treated unfairly, lawyer says

You will not be surprised to learn that, in the case of a Sarnia, Ont., cat that lost an eye after being shot in the head 17 times, there are accusations of savagery, cruelty and inhumane treatment.

But those charges are not coming on behalf of the cat.

They are instead coming from the lawyer representing the 19-year-old man facing two charges of animal cruelty, who says his client has received death threats and is being treated unfairly because of the attention the case has received.

Phillip Millar told CBC News that his client spent five days in jail after being arrested in connection to the Feb. 2 attack on a cat, since named Joe by the Sarnia and District Humane Society.

Millar says his client was eventually released on "conditions that a murderer gets." He further said the treatment seemed extremely severe as a reaction to the public outcry. His client has been the target of death threats and verbal abuse, he added.

[ Related: Ontario cat will lose eye after being shot 17 times ]

The suspect has been identified elsewhere, but it won't be here. Death threats are serious business and the charges against him have not been proven in court.

It can be noted that when the suspect was arrested last week, marijuana, Oxycodone and 50 Codeine pills were found in his home and he now faces drug and trafficking charges. A second suspect was arrested earlier this week and faces charges of willfully causing unnecessary injury and suffering.

Public outrage in cases like this is inevitable. The images of Joe's injuries are stark: 17 gun pellets to the face and left for dead. Joe lost the use of one eye, and it had to be removed by surgery. One pellet still remains lodged in his skull.

Yet there is a tangible fear the person or people responsible will get off with a slap on the wrist. Such cases can result in prison sentences of up to five years, but more often light fines.

There have several high-profile cases of animal cruelty recently, notably a Great Dane in Ottawa malnourished to the point of starvation and a Calgary husky reportedly stolen from it owner and later found hog-tied and muzzled.

[ More Brew: Toronto bars serving morning booze for Olympic hockey finals ]

There are several ongoing petitions calling for Canada to enforce stronger penalties against those found guilty of animal cruelty. If the public knew offenders would face real punishment, perhaps outrage would not become so visceral.

The suspect in this case has not yet appeared in court and his lawyer says he will plead not guilty.

It may not be fair that one young man would become the flashpoint for Canada's frustration with animal cruelty. But it is not surprising.

When an animal shows up near death with 17 pellet shots to the face, people tend to start looking for justice. Too often, they don't find it.

Want to know what news is brewing in Canada?
Follow @MRCoutts on Twitter.