VICTORIA - Two Vancouver Island men accused of starving a horse and then hanging it to death from a backhoe were scheduled to make their first court appearance Monday.

David Whiffin and Clayton Cunningham are each charged with animal cruelty after a 27 year-old Appaloosa Gelding was found strangled on a Brentwood Bay waterfront property.

The BCSPCA says Jalupae was starving when a rope was tied to its neck, looped over the bucket of an backhoe and the horse hanged to death September 15th.

The case has been put over to January 4th, 2010 when a plea is expected.

A group of animal advocates gathered outside Victoria Provincial court Monday to voice their outrage and call for tougher animal cruelty laws.