A man from Tulcea, in South-Eastern Romania, was sentenced to six months in prison, no parole, for brutally killing a chained dog that didn’t pose any threat. The dog was repeatedly stabbed to death, reports local Evz.ro.

“The cruelty shown by the defendant, in the context in which the animal did not pose any threat, led the court to judge that the only punishment capable of achieving its purpose was deprivation of liberty,” the court said.

The Tulcea Court, which ruled the sentence, also said that the man didn’t seem to regret killing the dog in such a cruel way. The judges found the defendant’s conduct “revolting”.

Cases of animal cruelty are not rare in Romania, but they are rarely punished. In mid-October, two men were sentenced to eight months probation for brutally killing a stray dog at the end of last year. The two hit the dog with a shovel and then let a fighting dog kill the animal, reports News.ro.

Also in October, a priest from a commune in Iasi shot and killed two dogs. He said he just wanted to protect the animals in the household. The police opened an investigation in this case.

Draft bill in Romania: Prison sentences of up to ten years for animal cruelty

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com