PHILIPSBURG--A motorist was photographed on January 20 dragging a dog behind a car while the vehicle was in motion. A photo of this incident was uploaded on Facebook and a group of concerned citizens filed a complaint about animal cruelty at the police station in Philipsburg on January 22.
On investigation carried out in relation to this incident, investigators found no evidence to determine whether the dog was still alive when the incident occurred. The suspect claimed that the dog was already dead and that he had chosen this means to transport the cadaver to a nearby dump site.
Nevertheless, this was considered to be endangerment, jeopardising the safety of others on the road. The Prosecutor’s Office issued a conditional dismissal based on article 5 of the traffic regulation.
A conditional dismissal consists of a special condition and a general condition. The special condition in this case was that the suspect performed community service and the general condition is that the suspect is under probation for a period of two years.
Although animal cruelty could not be proven in this case, the Prosecutor’s Office warns the public that cruelty to animals is unacceptable and punishable by law.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/74616-cruelty-to-animals-punishable-by-law
