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Former clinic employee Julie Mitchell testified Tuesday that during the time she worked for Yang, the dogs were only allowed out of their kennel for five minutes, twice a day, to go pee, and that they were fed limited amounts of food. She also said that while Yang did not tell her to limit their water, he discouraged her from going near them to refill it, which was giving them too much “attention.”

A student who only worked at the clinic part-time, Mitchell testified that she became “scared” of Yang, particularly after walking by the room where the dogs were kept and seeing Yang hit Tiggor.

“I watched Dr. Yang punch Tiggor in the ribs,” she said.

Mitchell reported Yang to police, and quit her job at the clinic in 2016.

While cross-examining Mitchell, Yang’s defence lawyer Brian Hurley asked Mitchell if she was aware of a training technique for dogs where a closed fist is raised and then swung downwards. Mitchell said she wasn’t, but maintained that Yang had made contact with Tiggor.

Hurley also put it to Mitchell that the dogs did get out their kennel to play — she just wasn’t around when it happened. He asked if she knew that Yang often stayed overnight at the clinic as the on-call vet, spending hours after midnight taking the dogs out for exercise. Hurley played a video in court of Heza, Tiggor and another dog running in the snow that he says Yang filmed during the night of Jan. 21, 2016.

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Hurley also showed a video of the dogs playing on an acreage, as Yang’s two young daughters laugh and interact with the dogs. Hurley said he plans to enter the video and others as exhibits when he makes his own arguments.

Court also heard evidence Tuesday from one of the animal control officers who seized the dogs. Peace officer Heather Peters testified that when she arrived at the clinic to investigate the complaints, she observed the dogs were in a “cramped” space for their size, and was troubled that she could see the dogs’ bones showing through their coats.

“Both dogs appeared very, very thin,” she said.

The trial is expected to continue Wednesday.

pparsons@postmedia.com

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