Recreational hunter drags dog behind his car
A recreational hunter appeared before the criminal court in Nîmes, France, on Wednesday, 14 February 2018, charged with animal cruelty. The alleged animal abuser from Saint-Étienne-des-Sorts is said to have dragged a neighbour's dog behind his pickup truck over several kilometres.
A recreational hunter appeared before the criminal court in Nîmes, France, on Wednesday, 14 February 2018, charged with animal cruelty. The alleged animal abuser from Saint-Étienne-des-Sorts is said to have dragged a neighbour's dog behind his pickup truck over several kilometres.
The well-known foundation «30 Millions d'Amis» participated in the hearing of the recreational hunter and joined the proceedings as a co-plaintiff.
What happened?
On 29 December 2017, dog owner Eric de Sousa could no longer find his young beloved pet “Rocky” in the garden. That evening, a recreational hunter (59) appeared at his front door and explained that he had found the dog seriously injured. The two went together to the injured animal, and Eric de Sousa immediately took his dog to the veterinary hospital.
However, a neighbour had witnessed the entire incident and recognised the recreational hunter's 4×4. She came forward the following morning to inform Eric de Sousa and the authorities.
The dog suffered traumatic shock and sustained numerous injuries to his paws, pads, and chest. He had already received medical treatment 12 times since the incident.
In police custody
During questioning, the recreational hunter was unable to explain his actions. After the interrogation, he was taken into police custody, where he remained until he had to appear personally before the court. The defendant faces 2 years in prison and a fine of 30’000 euros. The verdict is to be announced on 28 February.
Since the beginning of the year, the sad story of this dog has preoccupied the residents of the small village of Saint-Étienne-des-Sorts. More than 1’000 internet users have supported the Facebook page «Soutien à Rocky» set up by the dog owner's daughter.
Today, a rally is planned in front of the courthouse in Nîmes to show support for Rocky, but also to put a stop to animal cruelty. According to local animal welfare advocates, the number of animal cruelty incidents in the region has risen steadily in recent years. More on Crime and Recreational Hunting.
More on the subject of recreational hunting: In the dossier Poaching and hunting crime in Switzerland we document cases, legal questions and recurring patterns. What the research says about this is shown by Hunting fact-checked: the state of research.
The position of IG Wild beim Wild: IG Wild beim Wild rejects recreational hunting. Our model is the canton of Geneva, which has managed without recreational hunting since 1974: without hunting seasons, without hunting dogs, without driven hunts, without high seats, without the animal cruelty and crime that go hand in hand with hunting season elsewhere. What has worked there for over fifty years disproves every position paper by JagdSchweiz. An association that bases its policy on claims it refutes in its own documents is not a professional organisation, but a factory for misinformation.
