Crystal MacDonald, 46, the owner of two dogs that fatally attacked her roommate's 11-year-old son Kache Grist in April 2024, has been given a conditional sentence to be served in the community for two years less a day. The judge, Eric Macklin, imposed a lifetime ban on dog ownership but allowed MacDonald to serve her sentence in Penticton, B.C., where she is living with her mother. This decision was made after the Crown sought a five-year prison sentence and a lifetime ban on dog ownership. Judge Macklin stated that the sentence still denounces MacDonald's actions of criminal negligence causing death and keeping dangerous animals.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Crystal MacDonald, the owner of two dogs that killed 11-year-old Kache Grist in her Edmonton home in April 2024, was given a community sentence by Judge Eric Macklin. The sentence, which will be served over two years less a day, allows MacDonald to stay with her mother in Penticton, B.C., rather than serving time in prison. A lifetime ban on dog ownership has also been imposed, although MacDonald can apply to have it lifted in 10 years. The Crown had sought a five-year prison sentence. Despite the leniency of the sentence, Judge Macklin emphasized that it still acknowledges the seriousness of the crime and holds MacDonald accountable for her actions.
Written for “Edmonton Dog Attack Case” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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No political leaning scored for article 6313 · logged 2026-09-07
The owner of two dogs that killed an 11-year-old boy wiped away tears Thursday as she was given a conditional sentence to be served in the community.
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she → kill → community
Crystal MacDonald otherwise stared straight ahead during sentencing by Justice Eric Macklin in Court of King’s Bench in Edmonton.
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MacDonald → star → Edmonton
“A sentence served in the community still denounces the crime of criminal negligence causing death and, more specifically, keeping dangerous animals and failing to properly ensure the protection and safety of others, especially children,” Macklin said.
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Macklin → serve → children
“Ms. MacDonald is fully aware of the consequences of her actions and inactions, and there is no suggestion that she might engage in future behaviour such as that which brought her before the court in this case.
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which → be → case
MacDonald’s two cane corsos fatally attacked her roommate’s son, Kache Grist, in her Edmonton home in April 2024.
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corsos → attack → April
Macklin allowed MacDonald to serve her sentence in Penticton, B.C., where she has been living with her mother.
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she → allow → mother
He imposed a lifetime ban on dog ownership but said she could bring forward an application in 10 years to try to remove it.
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she → impose → it
The Crown sought a five-year prison sentence for MacDonald and a lifetime ban on dog ownership.
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Crown → seek → ownership
The defence asked for the conditional sentence of two years less a day.
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defence → ask → years
Outside court, MacDonald’s lawyer said they were pleased with the judge’s decision and that she has filed an appeal challenging the conviction.
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she → say → conviction
“The issue in this case has never been whether the dogs caused Kache’s death,” Evan McIntyre said.
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McIntyre → cause → death
He said it is not contradictory for her to feel “incredibly remorseful” for Kache’s death while exercising her legal right to ask a higher court to overturn the conviction.
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her → say → conviction
Her appeal had been raised by the Crown prosecutor as evidence MacDonald has little remorse.
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MacDonald → raise → remorse
MacDonald, 46, was found guilty of criminal negligence causing death in May.
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MacDonald → find → May
At trial, court heard Kache, who lived in British Columbia with his mother, was in Edmonton visiting his father Wesley Grist for spring break.
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who → hear → break
Wesley Grist was living in MacDonald’s home.
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Grist → live → home
MacDonald testified during trial that she repeatedly told Wesley not to leave the boy alone with her dogs.
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she → testify → dogs
She said she didn’t approve of Kache staying at her home and tried to get the dogs into a boarding kennel, but they lacked the required vaccinations.
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they → say → vaccinations
Before Kache’s death, the dogs had killed two pets and injured three adults, including MacDonald.
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dogs → kill → MacDonald
Wesley Grist later testified that on that fateful day that he was in the garage when his son was killed.
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son → testify → garage
He had allowed the boy to go inside to play a new video game while he finished cleaning up tools.
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he → allow → tools
About 45 minutes later, he found his son lying in a pool of blood surrounded by the dogs on the kitchen floor.
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son → find → floor
An autopsy found he died from bite injuries to the neck.
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he → find → neck
The dogs were later euthanized.
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dogs → euthanize → ?
The judge told MacDonald that simply warning Grist about the dogs was not enough.
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warning → tell → dogs
Macklin said there were many things MacDonald could have done, such as keeping the dogs leashed or chained in the backyard, locking them in their kennels or finding another place for the boy to stay.
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boy → say → place
MacDonald said Wednesday during her sentencing hearing that she thinks about Kache every single day.
“There is no sentence that this court could impose on me that could make me feel the weight of this loss more than I already do,” she said.
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she → say → loss
