Animal abuser in Turkey's Muğla sentenced to work at animal shelter

MUĞLA

A Turkish court has suspended the sentence of a suspect standing trial on charges of dragging a dog behind his car with the condition that he gives service at an animal shelter for a period of six months.

A court in the Aegean province of Muğla’s Fethiye district sentenced on Nov. 27 the suspect named Ramazan to two years jail on charges of “putting traffic safety in danger,” state-run Anadolu Agency has reported. The man was banned from traffic for a period of one year and his driving license was suspended by the authorities.

The court has also ruled for the man’s sentence to be suspended with the condition that he works at the Fethiye Municipality Animal Shelter for a period of six months.

At a hearing on Nov. 27, Ramazan told the court that the dog in fact belonged to him and although he had initially placed the dog in the car’s trunk, it had “accidentally fallen” out of the trunk on the road, without him being aware of it.

“Since the road was pebbled and dusty, I did not see that the dog had fallen out. It was thanks to the other cars’ horns that I realized it,” Ramazan said.

Asked why he had placed his dog inside the trunk, but not in the car itself, Ramazan said: “The dog is used to travelling in the trunk…This dog is like my child, I am very sorry about the incident.”

Meanwhile, the dog is reported to be in a good health, having been delivered to the municipal police unit of the Fethiye Municipality. It has been given the name of “Aslan” (Lion in English).