Canada: Hunter fined $3,000, loses licence after dogs killed during coyote hunt

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/hunter-fined-3000-loses-licence-after-dogs-killed-during-coyote-hunt

02/23/2026

A 27-year-old Aylmer man has been fined $3,000 and had his hunting licence suspended for a year after pleading guilty to two charges stemming from a hunting incident that left two dogs dead last year.

Appearing by video at the Provincial Offences administration building in St. Thomas on Monday afternoon, Brayden Clark pleaded guilty to two Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act offences connected to the shootings of nine-year-old Mary Jane and three-year-old Hank, German shepherds owned by Kaitlin Strong and Robert Jordan, who were shot and killed during a coyote hunt in February 2025.

Clark pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully, while in possession of a firearm for the purpose of hunting, discharging a firearm without due care and attention, resulting in the killing of a male German shepherd.

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He received a suspended sentence on a second such charge in the shooting death of Mary Jane. A third charge of trespassing for the purpose of hunting was withdrawn.

“A joint position on penalty has been presented to the court,” said justice of the peace Tara Oudekerk, who imposed a $3,000 fine and a one-year hunting licence suspension on Clark

“The court is required to cancel the individual’s licence to hunt or trap and issue an order prohibiting the person from possessing, applying for or obtaining any licence.”

Reading from an agreed statement of facts, prosecutor Jennifer Schmidtz said that on Feb. 8, 2025, at about 1:15 p.m., Strong let Mary Jane and Hank out of their rural home about 10 kilometres north of Aylmer.

Strong heard gunshots about 15 minutes later. Between 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., she went looking for the dogs and found blood splattered in the snow in an area behind her and Jordan’s home, court heard. The couple canvassed the area to find their dogs and later contacted the Ministry of Natural Resources.

An investigation determined Clark, who was using a rifle with a scope, was coyote hunting with a group on Feb. 8, Schmidtz said. From a distance of no less than about 217 metres, Clark shot and killed the two German shepherds after mistaking them for coyotes. He had used a utility pole to steady himself due to a previous injury, court heard.

Although he was with a group, he was alone when he fired the shots. Afterward, he collected the dogs’ bodies from the field and brought them home, failing to report the incident to the property owners where the dogs were killed.

Clark reported the incident to the Ministry of Natural Resources on Feb. 10, a Monday.

Schmidtz read victim impact statements from Strong and Jordan detailing how deeply they were affected by the deaths of Mary Jane and Hank.

Strong called Feb. 8 the start of a “horrific nightmare,” saying she suffered panic attacks and was unable to work as a high school teacher – a job she loves – between February and September 2025.

“Those months were the darkest of my life,” her statement said, adding she “still breaks down into tears” at the memory of the dogs.e

Lots of fault on both sides here. As a retired farmer I see both sides. No dog should run on someone else’s private land without permission . No hunter should hunt on private land without permission. If either of these rules were followed the dogs would still be alive. No hunter should shoot without knowing what his target is. I have shot dogs running on my property to protect my livestock and German shepherds are some of the worst for attacking chickens, lambs, and calves. If you love your pets keep them on your own property.

Jordan described the lasting impact, noting he and Strong got Mary Jane when she was six weeks old and had hoped to spend many more years with Hank.

The deaths of Mary Jane and Hank are “a wound that will never heal,” his statement said, adding “a piece of my soul” has been taken away.

Representing Clark and speaking on his behalf was Kyle Cronk, who said Clark stands before the court and has “pled guilty to the two charges.” He said Clark “wishes the court to know that he is sorry that this has taken place and acknowledges this is a terrible mistake. Mr. Clark regrets that this has happened.”

Cronk said Clark went to the Ministry of Natural Resources office “at the first opportunity” on the Monday morning, where he “gave two very honest statements,” and offered to “drive the dogs to the owners, give them back and assist them in burying them.”

Clark also hopes Strong and Jordan can overcome their grief and forgive him, Cronk said.

Although Monday’s court proceeding brings an end to the provincial offence charges against Clark, Strong and Jordan continue to grieve the dogs they considered family.

“I’m feeling how I imagine probably a lot of the people in the community that I’ve spoken with so far are feeling, which is that this is not justice,” Strong said, adding she believes the punishment was too light.

“I would like to see harsher penalties for hunting crimes,” she said. “I would like to see some changes to the law with regards to how animals, specifically domestic animals, are view

Clark will be required to complete specified educational requirements before applying for a hunting licence following the one-year suspension, Oudekerk said.