A law court in Jaén sentenced a man to a 6-month, suspended sentence for having left his dog locked up in his car with outside temperatures over 40ºC in July.

As a result of the animal’s exposure to these conditions it died. The 64-year-old man had left the dog locked in the car all day whilst parked in Cazorla (Jaén).

The Public Prosecutor had originally recommend one year’s imprisonment, which is still an automatic suspended sentence as it is less than two years. He accepted half that recommendation as the accused admitted guilt but said that he was under the influence of alcohol but conformed with the sentence. In other words, merely expressing as being drunk as an extenuating circumstance, 50% of the sentence was knocked off.

The incident took place on the 7th of July, 2022, the man left his car parked up at noon but not even in the shade and there the dog remained until after dark. No windows were left even slightly open — it was an oven. Neither did the dog have any water. The outside temperature reach 42ºC during the afternoon — inside it was far hotter.

According to the Policía Local that late evening the man fell down in the street, owing to his state of being completely drunk. Whilst being attended for a slight shoulder injury he told the officers that he was concerned about his dog. When the police located the car, the dog was already dead. The veterinary autopsy report confirmed that it had died from heat stroke.

Besides the suspended prison sentence, he is barred during three years from having any professional connection with animals, as well as possessing one as a pet.

Editorial comment: if there were any common sense behind judicial decisions to bar an offender, then this man would be barred for life from possession any animals under his care. Being drunk should never be an attenuating circumstance because the offender willing chose to get drunk.

(News/Noticias: Cazorlas, Jaen, Andalucia)