Hobby hunter sets dogs on cat: Heavy fine
It is more than welcome that the Bad Kreuznach public prosecutor's office brought charges against the hobby hunter. With today's ruling, the justice system has sent a clear message: the persistent acts of animal cruelty that are a hallmark of hunting are not minor offences, but serious criminal acts.
The proceedings in the so-called cat video case have been discontinued subject to stringent conditions.
Video shows brutal cat baiting
A video circulating on the internet in autumn 2018 shows several hunting dogs shaking, biting, and ultimately tearing apart a live cat while a hobby hunter cheers them on.
The animal rights organisation PETA filed a complaint with the Bad Kreuznach public prosecutor's office against the man, who breeds hunting dogs in Rhineland-Palatinate, for violating the Animal Welfare Act.
€5,000 fine and five-year hunting ban
The defendant confessed to the act. The court discontinued the proceedings in exchange for a fine of €5,000. In addition, Patrick N. was ordered not to keep any animals of any kind. Furthermore, he is prohibited from applying for a new hunting licence for the next five years and from keeping or professionally handling hunting dogs.
«It is more than welcome that the Bad Kreuznach public prosecutor's office brought charges against the hobby hunter. With today's ruling, the justice system has sent a clear message: the persistent acts of animal cruelty that are a hallmark of recreational hunting in Germany are not minor offences, but serious criminal acts», said Dr. Edmund Haferbeck of PETA.
Recreational hunting is unnecessary, counterproductive, and cruel
Every year, an estimated 350,000 cats are shot by hobby hunters in Germany, under the pretext that they threaten biodiversity. However, the greatest danger to wildlife is the hobby hunters themselves.
Recognized wildlife biologists agree that from an ecological perspective there is no necessity for hobby hunting. According to renowned biologist Prof. Dr. Josef Reichholf, the near-extinct wolves do not need to be replaced by human hobby hunters, since a natural regulation of animal populations living in the forest takes place through environmental factors such as weather conditions, food availability, and disease. Hobby hunting is unnecessary, counterproductive, and cruel.
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