A French couple has been sentenced for the brutal killing of their dog, an Argentinian mastiff using a chainsaw. File Photo: Pexels
Image: Pexels
A French couple has been sentenced to prison for the brutal killing of their dog using a chainsaw.
The grim act was reportedly committed as a misguided attempt to avenge the death of their cat, which the woman claimed had been killed by their dog, an Argentinian mastiff.
The incident occurred in May 2024 in the town of Levis in northern France, where police were summoned following reports of domestic violence.
According to Le Parisien, a French publication, the woman told the court in Auxerre that she stabbed the dog after finding her partner’s cat dead.
Initially, the couple, who have not been named, said they had planned to euthanise their dog as it was dangerous, but then decided to decapitate it as it was the only thing they could do at the time.
The publication reported that the man testified that on the day, they had been drinking heavily. They finished a litre of vodka and two beers each before the horrific 20-minute ordeal.
The man, who is said to have been to rehab for drug and alcohol abuse, admitted that he finished off the dog to "avenge" his cat.
The man, 38, was handed 18 months in prison and the woman, 31, was sentenced to two years.
In November 2024, a French woman allegedly threw her dog from the third-floor balcony at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
The dog sustained serious injuries and had to be euthanised, the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) said in a statement.
Grace de Lange, SPCA’s Chief Operations Officer said the woman had travelled from France to Johannesburg, on her way to Brazil.
De Lange said the woman boarded the plane with her dog, after purchasing a ticket for the extra "passenger", and arrived in South Africa. Two days later, video footage from the Airport Company South Africa (ACSA) shows the woman strolling through the Atrium at OR Tambo International Airport, with her small black dog running freely.
“As the dog reaches her, the woman picks the dog up and callously throws it over the balcony railing,” said de Lange.
She added that the dog did not die but was badly injured.
“The dog, severely injured and bleeding from the mouth, lay on the ground, barely alive but still clinging to life.
“Airport officials immediately contacted the Kempton Park SPCA for assistance.
“Inspectors from the SPCA arrived at the scene and took the suffering dog into their care.
“At a nearby veterinary hospital, it was confirmed that the dog had sustained extensive internal injuries and was euthanised to end its suffering.”
The woman also died a few days later in Thembisa Hospital following reports of her suffering from mental illness.
sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za
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