A Calgary judge on Friday handed an eight-year prison term to a convicted serial rabbit killer, describing the offender's conduct as “repugnant, shocking and inconceivable.”
Nicholas Weseen showed no outward emotion as Justice Michel Bourque of the Calgary Court of King's Bench rejected the community-based sentence sought by his defense and instead imposed a lengthy federal penitentiary term. The judge agreed with Crown prosecutor Rose Greenwood that a severe punishment was necessary for Weseen, who tortured and killed multiple rabbits in his Forest Lawn basement suite.
Brutal Acts Detailed in Court
During sentencing submissions a month ago, Greenwood argued for a 10-year term, stating that Weseen's crimes could justify up to 16 years. Bourque did not go that high, but said the collective offenses warranted a 13-year sentence before reducing it for totality.
The judge detailed the horrific acts Weseen inflicted on several rabbits in his care, including four he had named: Smokey, Loki, Henry, and Chloe, as well as others that were never named. In some instances, Weseen castrated the animals without any sedatives and cut another open to see if she was pregnant.
Defense and Prosecution Arguments
Defense counsel Obehi Ekatah had sought a conditional sentence order to be served in the community, but Bourque agreed with Greenwood that such a punishment would be insufficient. Greenwood argued that a conditional sentence order would not reflect the seriousness of animal cruelty crimes, as determined by the Alberta Court of Appeal.
“A CSO is not available for these types of crimes … for brutal, violent attacks on animals,” she said.
Bourque concurred, noting multiple aggravating factors that warranted a harsh sentence, including “the brutality of the violence,” “the breach of trust” Weseen committed towards his pets, and the fact that “the rabbits’ pain and suffering was extensive.”
Animals No Longer Viewed as Chattels
The judge said courts have clearly recognized that “animal cruelty offences are crimes of violence.” He added, “Animals are no longer viewed as chattels.”
Bourque noted that a letter of apology written by Weseen and an oral statement he gave in court showed some signs of regret but not true remorse. “In my view the letter contains general expressions of regret,” he said. “However, its dominant theme is the impact on the offender himself.”
Weseen was convicted on June 28, 2025, of torturing and killing more than a dozen rabbits, including three found in a storage room in his home and two others discovered in the trash behind his residence. In a police interview following his arrest on Jan. 22, 2023, Weseen said hurting the animals was “kinda like playing God.”
With credit for remand time served after his conviction, Weseen will have about 79 months left to serve, Bourque said.
