About 20 picketers, most accompanied by dogs, were waiting outside the Otter Tail County Courthouse this morning for the court appearance of Benjamin Stavaas.
Stavaas is charged in Otter Tail County District Court with six animal cruelty charges after he told police he slit his dog's throat on June 15 in a fit of rage, according to court records.
Stavaas failed to appear at the courthouse, and a judge subsequently issued a warrant for his arrest.
Many traveled from Fargo-Moorhead for Stavaas' court appearance, such as Kelsey McFarlane, a volunteer with 4 Luv of Dog Rescue in Moorhead, who said she was here to stand up for dogs.
"I wanted to make it known that it's not acceptable what he did," said McFarlane, who brought her dog Buster.
