The man charged in connection to the death of a police service dog in the fall appeared in court Tuesday, and pleaded guilty.

Paul Joseph Vukmanich, 27, appeared in an Edmonton courtroom Tuesday, and entered guilty pleas for a total of six charges including animal cruelty, and flight from police.

In the early hours on Monday, October 7, Edmonton police were in pursuit of a stolen vehicle that eventually crashed, and the suspect tried to flee on foot.

Edmonton Police Service Dog Quanto and his handler Cst. Matthew Williamson were dispatched to the scene, and the German shepherd was set loose in an attempt to apprehend the suspect.

However, Quanto was stabbed in the incident – although he was rushed to the Edmonton Veterinary Emergency Clinic, he could not be saved.

On Tuesday, victim impact statements were read in court – including a statement from Williamson.

In his statement, the officer said he understood that the dog was a tool for his safety, and others, but “[Quanto] lived with my family, he was not a piece of equipment I put away at the end of my shift.”

Williamson went on to say that his wife and kids were devastated by Quanto’s death.

In the wake of the incident, concerns were raised over the punishment faced by individuals who harmed or killed service animals; the only applicable charge was animal cruelty.

“Not only did this dog try to protect his partner, Constable Williamson, unfortunately the dog got stabbed, literally in front of the officer,” Crown Prosecutor Christian Lim said Tuesday. “The Crown has to consider that when you talk about aggravating factors, so this officer watched this dog bleed in his hands, and as he carried it to the car and eventually to the veterinary clinic, he saw the dog literally die in his arms.”

During its fall throne speech, the federal government pledged to introduce “Quanto’s Law” to protect police animals, although specifics were not released.

A joint submission on the case asked for a 21 month sentence for Vukmanich, for the six charges he pleaded guilty to, Justice Larry Anderson questioned whether that was enough time – citing Vukmanich’s prior record.

Vukmanich’s sentence is expected to be handed down Friday morning.

With files from The Canadian Press and David Ewasuk