Prison sentence for man who threw four-month-old puppy off cliff
A court in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has sentenced an 18-year-old man to 12 months and one day in prison after he killed a four-month-old puppy in front of his partner in an act of what has been defined as “violencia vicaria”, meaning hurting someone or something close to a person, such as a child or a pet, in order to cause them emotional pain.
The incident took place on 13th September, when the man telephoned his partner and threatened: “I’m going to kill the dog and then myself.” He then walked with the podenco puppy to the cliffs near El Rincón, where his partner tried to intervene.
According to the judge, he warned her not to approach, saying, “Don’t come near or I’ll throw the dog over the edge and then kill myself,” before deliberately hurling the animal from a cliff onto the rocks below, killing it instantly.
The court heard that the woman suffered significant psychological trauma, requiring medical care, and an estimated recovery period of around 90 days.
Judge Auxiliadora Díaz ruled that the killing of the dog was not an isolated act of animal cruelty, but a deliberate means to cause deep psychological harm, describing it as a form of gender-based violence.
Although the sentence includes a prison term, it has been suspended because the man has no prior criminal record, and the punishment is under two years. However, he is banned from approaching or contacting his former partner for a period of two years and one day.
The ruling is considered unusual because it combines the crime of animal cruelty with the offence of psychological abuse, recognising the act as a case of “vicaria violence” against an animal, carried out with the intent to exert control and cause suffering to the woman.
The defendant admitted the facts during a fast-track trial held on Monday, 22nd September, and the judgment is now final.
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