James Warren
TWO hunters have been arrested for crimes of cruelty to animals after they were busted hanging one of their hunting dogs from a tree.
The disgusting crime occurred on February 6 in the Malaga town of Almogia, in a deeply rural area on the foothills of the Montes de Malaga.
Two men dressed in traditional khaki hunting gear were spotted by an anonymous resident attempting to hang the one and a half year old Podenco from a tree near a steep hillside.
Seprona, the animal welfare department of the Guardia Civil, were informed immediately and arrived on the scene, however were unable to locate the dog, so focused their efforts in locating the perpetrators.
A search the following day brought officers to the dog, unfortunately deceased and hanging by a rope from a tree in a hard to access area.
Three hours after the report of the hanging, a 4×4 was spotted driving erratically nearby, showing signs of the influence of alcohol and crossing lanes.
Officers from the Guardia Civil Traffico apprehended the vehicle and described in a statement that the detainees were verbally aggressive and resisted arrest.
Back at the station, the man driving the 4×4 was identified and was found to match the details registered to the micro-chip found in the deceased hunting dog.
Later that day, a second man was arrested for his part in the horrendous act of cruelty hiding out in the town of Almogia.
The pair attempted to justify their actions by claiming the animal was ‘not fit for hunting’, sadly a common situation that many hunting dogs find themselves when owned by small faction of traditionalist hunters.
The men have been charged with the crimes of crime of animal abuse, aggravated by cruelty resulting in death, and the other also facing charges of resisting arrest, serious disobedience, and crimes against traffic safety.
