District Court sentences couple to conditional imprisonment for drowning dogs
On Thursday, May 3, the District Court of Zofingen sentenced a 38-year-old man to conditional imprisonment of 20 months and a fine of 1000 Swiss francs for drowning his wife's two Miniature Pinschers in the Aare river. His wife also received a conditional sentence of 16 months and a conditional monetary penalty for incitement to animal cruelty. The couple's actions were met with horror throughout Switzerland.
May 4, 2018
The public prosecutor's office demanded a semi-conditional prison sentence of two years for the husband, whereby he would serve one full year in prison. For the Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) it is therefore incomprehensible as to why, in light of the act's cruelty, the court denied the prosecution's request and only imposed conditional prison sentences for both of the accused. For repeated animal cruelty, the highest sentence possible as stipulated in the animal welfare act is unconditional imprisonment of up to four years.
It remains unclear as to what extent the accused will be permitted to acquire animals in the future. TIR calls on the cantonal veterinary authority to consider appropriate administrative measures, in particular a general ban on keeping animals, to prevent other animals from suffering at the hands of the accused.