Austria: Hobby Hunter Shoots Neighbour's Dog
There are no associations with legal status whose members are as deeply rooted in criminal behaviour as hobby hunters in hunting societies.
Last November, a dog owner in the Feldkirchen district asked his neighbour — a hobby hunter — to shoot his Bernese Mountain Dog. The huntsman is said to have tied the animal to a tree stump on the dog owner's property and shot it with a shotgun. Because the dog did not die immediately after the first shot, he had to reload the gun and put the whimpering animal out of its misery. Passers-by noticed the incident and filed a report with the police.
Police Uncover Further Offences
In the course of the police investigation into animal cruelty, the hobby hunter is also said to have been found guilty of several violations of hunting law. Furthermore, the 67-year-old was «not in possession of a valid hunting permit for the hunting area at the time of the shootings«, according to the police.
Report Filed – Decision Pending
A spokesperson for the Feldkirchen district authority confirmed the receipt of a corresponding report with the weapons authority. The matter is being thoroughly reviewed. For the time being, the authority does not wish to make any further statements regarding the case itself, citing data protection reasons.
He now faces criminal proceedings for animal cruelty and violations of hunting law. Whether the man's hunting licence will be revoked is to be decided by the Carinthian Hunters' Association. In Carinthia, hunting licences are issued by the district master of the hunt. In matters relating to hunting authorisation, the hunters' association assumes the role of a regulatory authority.
Dog “Disposed of” Out of Convenience
Judge Pöllinger, himself a dog lover and expert — and even a judge at dog competitions: “An old dog was simply disposed of – out of sheer convenience.” To save the costs of a shelter or a vet.
"Bella" had been a loyal farm dog for ten years. That makes the penalty all the more costly: both the owner and the hunter must each pay 3,600 euros and have also been handed a six-month suspended sentence for animal cruelty. Neither came with a lawyer – which likely contributed to the rather unfortunate impression they made – and they accepted the sentence nonetheless. "We're the fools anyway
