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Warning: this story contains disturbing details.
Prosecutors have discontinued proceedings in an animal abuse case launched after a dead dog was found in an Edmonton park.
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Steven Kuzyk and Sharon Vert were set to begin an Alberta Court of Justice trial Wednesday on animal cruelty charges.
Instead, the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service issued a stay of proceedings, stating it believes there is no longer a “reasonable likelihood” of convicting the two.
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A defence lawyer on the case said the stay was entered after the accused provided the Crown with additional information on their whereabouts at the time of the incidents.
Police charged Kuzyk and Vert with a total of seven offences last February after two instances of animal abuse came to light.
The first occurred Dec. 26, 2022. According to police, a suspect was captured on security footage dragging what appeared to be a dead dog by a rope and leaving its body in Kittlitz Park, near 28A Street and 36A Avenue.
Residents found the deceased three-year-old German shepherd-pit bull cross with its paws bound. They called police, who released a photo of the dog obtained from its microchip, as well as surveillance images, as part of a public appeal for tips.
In February 2023, police were called to a home in Meadowbrook after reports of animal abuse against a puppy that allegedly occurred Jan. 21, 2023. Police seized the four-month-old German shepherd mix and transferred her to an animal shelter.
Kuzyk and Vert, who are both in their 40s, were arrested and charged in both instances. They were accused of failing to provide adequate care to an animal, wilfully causing pain and suffering to an animal, and causing an animal’s death.
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As is standard practice, the Crown did not provide specific reasons for staying the charges. Kuzyk’s lawyer, however, said the defence provided the Crown with alibi and third-party suspect information.
“I think that may have influenced the Crown’s decision to stay the proceedings,” Stacey Purser said. “It appeared the two people charged were not actually responsible.”
Matthew Pagels said Vert, his client, has “always maintained her innocence.”
“This stay reflects that innocence,” he said in an email. “Ms. Vert loved her dog very much and was saddened by its death. Being accused of these crimes has taken a personal and emotional toll on her. She is happy she can move forward with some dignity.”
While rare, stayed charges can be resumed by the Crown within one year.
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