A man has been sentenced to eighteen months in prison for fatally attacking a colony of cats with his dogs. The sentence to which La Vanguardia has had access has been handed down by Criminal Court 1 of Barcelona and sets a prison sentence of six months for each of the three crimes of animal abuse. The accused accepted the charges and a judgment of agreement was signed between all parties. The ruling also imposes a one-year disqualification in which he will not be able to approach animals or exercise any “profession, position or trade related to animals.”
The Barcelona City Council, which has brought the private prosecution, will be compensated with 479 euros for the costs borne by the council derived from the conduct of the convicted person and the Associació Gats de l’Espigón de la Barceloneta, the entity that is in charge of ensuring the protection of stray cats in the area, will receive the amount of 2040 euros in moral damages.
The events occurred in December 2019. Between the 16th and 27th of that month, the accused went daily with five large, dangerous, untethered dogs he owned and encouraged them to “attack a colony of cats.” feral animals that resided there and that were subject to protection by the association that provided them with food, water and places of shelter.” As it finally happened, “the aggressive action of the dogs encouraged by the accused caused the death of three cats due to the multiple bites suffered, all while the accused maintained a passive behavior despite being fully aware of what was happening and being warned by a fisherman who was in the area,” the sentence highlights.
The association, which is subsidized by the city council, alerted the municipal authorities after they found three dead cats as a result of the attack. The Animal Protection Office of Barcelona City Council took charge of the matter. The man was identified and acknowledged the facts. The prison sentence is suspended on the condition that he does not commit any crime in the next three years. He has also been allowed to pay compensation over a period of three years at the rate of 70 euros per month.
