Promoter Evan Wilkins was arrested Sunday morning on charges of animal cruelty after allegedly setting his dog on fire. “Evan was gearing up for Fiery Inferno, his first party of the summer, when it happened,” says Jane Alex, a dubstep DJ who was set to play on the night of the incident.

Rubio, Evan's recently deceased pomeranian, was tied to a fence behind the large industrial warehouse where the party was to take place. “Evan was smoking a joint, playing with his dog, and just having a good time,” says Jane. “But then he thoughtlessly threw the joint out, and it ended up lighting some dried grass on fire next to where Rubio was lying down. Things quickly spun out of control after that.”

Within a few moments, Rubio was engulfed in flames. “That poor dog. I think the dried leaves might have been covering a patch of spilled oil, because it’s incredible how Rubio went from wagging his little tail to howling in pain. One moment he was a happy ball of fuzzy fur, the next he was a lump of toasted dog flesh. Evan was crestfallen. This was definitely not an intentional case of burn-the-doggy. It was a tragic accident and I think he should not have to face jail time because of his mistake. His heart's already broken enough as it is.”

The police disagree. “His negligence and carelessness directly lead to the death of his dog, and he must face the consequences for that,” says Sgt. Barrista of the SPVM. “We take animal cruelty very seriously in Montreal, especially when it involves marijuana.”

Animal activists are glad that the city is taking such a hard stance against the promoter. “Some people think we should go soft on him because it was an accident,” says Peter Bashnoy, president of Save The Dogs Foundation Canada, “but they wouldn’t be so lenient if he had accidentally set a small child on fire. This sort of double standard has to end.”

Mr. Wilkins will appear before the courts next Tuesday.