Robert Fawcett will likely spend the next three years under probation and not serve any jail time for his part in the killing of 54 sled dogs two years ago.

Judge Steven Merrick heard sentencing submissions from the Crown and defence on Thursday (Nov. 22) in North Vancouver Provincial Court.

The Crown prosecutor Nicole Gregoire recommended the three year probationary period along with a $5,000 fine, 200 hours of community service, lifetime ban on owning pets and a 10 year firearm ban.

While Merrick has yet to hand down a sentence, the fact that Gregoire did not ask for jail time means it is likely the judge will not put Fawcett in prison for his crimes.

Fawcett pleaded guilty to a single count of causing unnecessary to an animal on Aug. 30 and his case was put over for sentencing, which included a psychiatric assessment.

Fawcett was charged after the B.C. SPCA undertook a $250,000 investigation into the killing of sled dogs after a WorkSafeBC claim by Fawcett for posttraumatic stress disorder was leaked to the media.

The SPCA exhumed the remains of 54 dogs from a mass grave in the Soo Valley. At the time he culled the dogs Fawcett was employed by Howling Dog Tours, which had taken a financial hit after the 2010 Winter Olympics. Outdoor Adventures Whistler, Howling Dog's parent company, transferred the remaining dogs and other assets to the newly formed Sled Dog Foundation at the end of last year.

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