A report published by the National Observatory on Delinquency and Criminal Responses (ONDRP) shows that more and more people responsible for animal cruelty, or abandonment, are being condemned.
Between 2016 and 2018, the number of cases brought to court for animal abuse increased by 23% (from 1,025 to 1,256), according to a study by the National Observatory on Delinquency and Criminal Responses, carried out by Fiona Frattini. And for 80% of the cases, the accused are men, mainly adults.
For a third of the respondents, they are "without profession, unemployed or job seeker". The other profiles are either retired (15%), educated or students (7%), or even farmer farmers (7%).
And it is "essentially between June and August that the facts take place", writes Fiona Frattini.
The report highlights the many convictions. Over the period 2007 and 2017, the number increased from 70 to 110, an increase of 57%.
"This increase was particularly strong from 2015, when animals were recognized as sentient beings in the Civil Code," explains the ONDRP.
€ 30,000 fine
In terms of sentencing, the penalty is two years' imprisonment and a fine of € 30,000, to which can be added additional penalties, such as the ban on owning an animal.
As reported in 20 minutes, a third of those convicted of cruelty to a pet were fined, 29% were given a suspended sentence, 23% an alternative, and 16% were sentenced to firm imprisonment.
The SPA's 62 shelters collected 26,375 abandoned animals between 2016 and 2018. And if this number is added to the other shelters, it increases to 47,915.
On the SPA site, it is specified that nearly 42,000 animals are abandoned per year, including around 10,000 in the summer.