Two people arrested for fatally hitting dog in Konya

KONYA

Two people who fatally hit a dog with a shovel at an animal rehabilitation center in the Central Anatolian province of Konya have been arrested, while the suspects claimed that they hit the dog in self-defense.

A video of a municipal worker hitting a dog with a shovel in Konya has drawn huge reactions from the public.

The provincial chief public prosecutor’s office announced that the suspects, Murat Bacak and Sefa Çakmak, were arrested.

In the statements, the suspects said that the dog attacked them, and they hit the dog in self-defense.

“On the day of the incident, we were applying parasite vaccines and pesticides to the animals in the shelter. Çakmak was trying to hold the dog that was brought from inside. But he could not hold the dog. First, the dog attacked me,” Bacak claimed.

“I hit the dog once with a shovel to protect myself. Although Çakmak took the dog under control, he hit the dog’s head with a shovel two more times with panic,” Bacak stated.

“The dog went into shock. Then, I did its medical treatment and sent it to its cage. I did not know about the latest condition of the dog. I had a three-day medical report on this incident,” Bacak added.

Noting that he started working at the shelter two months ago, Çakmak stated, “We took the dogs to the corridor for applying the antiparasitic spray. There was an aggressive dog.”

“I was holding him with a catch apparatus. The dog suddenly attacked Bacak. He also hit the dog to protect himself. The dog fainted. Then we gave the dog the necessary treatment and put it in its cage,” Çakmak pointed out.