R v Nikkels, 2018 BCPC

On April 12, 2016 BC SPCA received a complaint that a seven-year-old female Teacup Chihuahua named Bianca had been brought to a veterinary clinic suffering from a crushed skull and chest. The dog was found to be in critical distress and humanely euthanized. Kylie Nikkels had been left alone in her estranged grandmother’s house with the grandmother’s dog Bianca the day of the incident and claimed she found the dog in that condition. A necropsy report showed Bianca had suffered blunt-force trauma to the skull.

After a lengthy SPCA investigation, Nikkels was arrested by RCMP and a trial commenced. Nikkels was found not guilty by the judge due to having reasonable doubt on whether she caused the injuries to Bianca. The judge believed that the injuries could have been caused by a number of different reasons, including the other dog in the residence.