Buddy shooter penalty 'no surprise'

The veterinarian who was involved in trying to save Buddy the dog said she isn't surprised that Simeon Smith, the man who pleaded guilty Nov. 5, received only a $2,000 fine.

Dr. Carolyn Lariviere said she was surprised, though, to learn that he had committed to donating $1,500 to the Walden Animal Shelter.

Lariviere said she has been involved in many animal cruelty cases, and as small as $2,000 seems, it's one of the more significant penalties she has seen. Given the fact he pleaded guilty and three of the four charges were withdrawn, “it's no surprise,” she said.

“The justice system has to go with precedence, and precedence-wise, this is probably in line with decisions of the past (on animal cruelty cases),” she said. “Would I like to see that change? Absolutely.”

She said she'd like to see stiffer penalties in terms of money and jail time where necessary. For his actions, Smith could have been fined $60,000 and spent two years in jail.

And, like many other animal-lovers, Lariviere said she was disheartened by the fact Smith didn't even show up at the ruling.

“It would have made a huge difference to me to see any kind of statement of regret; however, he didn't even show up for the ruling,” she said. “Just even the recognition that it was wrong would have made a huge difference.”

While many people will be disappointed in the ruling, the victory comes not in the verdict, but from the fact there was so much public awareness of animal cruelty created by Buddy's story, and “I think the amount of attention his story got all across North America brought the issue to light,” she said. “It was absolutely astounding, and I think people should be happy about that part of it.”

The ruling also sheds light on the fact that changes are needed in the judicial system on how animals are recognized, “and that's starting to happen,” she said.

As for the $1,500 donation to the animal hospital, Lariviere said it was “news to me.”

“We haven't heard anything official about it, but if it does come to pass, we will put the money into the Buddy Trust Fund, which is being used to help abandoned or abused animals,” she said.

To date, the trust fund has been put to use for two animals. The fund is controlled by a board of directors with representation from the public and the SPCA, and they are very selective with where the money goes, Lariviere said.

Buddy had a huge impact on the staff at Walden Animal Hospital.

“We see a lot of animals every day, but Buddy was a very special case. Given what happened to him, it would have totally been expected for him to be really traumatized, scared, shy or aggressive, but he was none of those things. He always had a wag of his tail for you, or wanted to shake a paw. He was super friendly and happy to see people. He really made a lot of friends here, and he touched the lives of many.”