Man prosecuted for stabbing dog to death in Jūrmala

On 22nd March of this year, the State Police received a call to Sloka, Jūrmala. A dog owner reported that another resident had stabbed her German Shepherd on the street. When law enforcement officers arrived at the scene, the animal was unfortunately found dead.

Information obtained by officers from the Jūrmala Precinct of the Riga Regional Administration of the State Police indicates that the woman’s dog, upon entering the yard, ran out behind the fence after spotting another dog – a neighbour’s dog that was off-leash and with its owner. The woman’s dog attacked the smaller dog. The two neighbours separated their dogs, and since the German Shepherd was larger, the owner tied her dog to a post to prevent further danger.

Even though both dogs had calmed down, the owner of the smaller dog ran into the house, grabbed a knife, and, returning to the tied-up German Shepherd, stabbed the woman’s pet several times. The German Shepherd died at the scene from its injuries.

In connection with the incident, criminal proceedings have been initiated under Section 230(2) of the Criminal Law for cruel treatment of an animal resulting in its death. For such a crime, the law provides for imprisonment for up to five years, or short-term imprisonment, or probation, with the deprivation of the right to keep certain or all species of animals for up to five years.