A former B.C. veterinarian who used a horse to pull his car out of a ditch has been sentenced to 24 months of probation.
Mark Marohn was found guilty in March on two animal cruelty charges for forcing a horse named Buddy to tow a vehicle stuck in a Langley ditch on Dec. 10, 2008. He was sentenced in Surrey provincial court on Friday, and was also banned from owning animals for three years.
Marcie Moriarty of the BC SPCA called the ban "ridiculous," pointing out that Crown prosecutors had asked for a lifetime prohibition.
"We're exceptionally disappointed in the outcome of this trial. It's a slap in the face," she told CTV News.
"This is an individual who has spent years training on how to treat animals and yet he couldn't even look after the six horses that were in his custody."
Seven-year-old Buddy was rescued by emergency crews after they worked for several hours, but he had to be put down because he was deemed too thin and weak to survive.
Both Buddy and the car were owned by Marohn and his then-wife and fellow vet Carol Schoyen-Marohn. When police attended the family farm later that day, photos were taken of five other horses that appeared to be malnourished and the SPCA seized the animals.
One horse died four days after the rescue, while the surviving four were adopted by new owners after months of rehabilitation.
Schoyen-Marohn is also accused in the Buddy case, but proceedings against her were postponed after she suffered a stroke in 2010. Her trial is set to begin in October.
With files from CTV British Columbia's Michele Brunoro
