A man from Arendonk was sentenced on Monday by the correctional court in Antwerp to €400 in damages and a fine of €4,000 after shooting a cat in October, Gazet van Antwerpen reported.
Marina Hendrickx of the Poezemoeders Turnhout vzw, a non-profit cat shelter and stray cat project, took civil action against the man after Hendrickx's daughter found the injured cat behind a fence in October last year. When the two women questioned the man about the cat, he admitted he had shot it. They subsequently took the injured animal to the vet.
The vet found four bullets in the cat, one of which was in the spine and had resulted in paralysis. To prevent further suffering, the vet put the animal to sleep.
"It was a well-groomed, red and white cat," Hendrickx said. "It was probably a house cat, but it had not been neutered or microchipped. We think that is why the owner never came forward. To stand up for the rights of this innocent cat, I then took up a civil case."
The man immediately admitted to shooting at the cat when questioned by the police. He said he did so to scare the cat away which he said was chasing rabbits in his yard. Because four bullets were found in the cat, the judge did not believe the man was only trying to chase it away. The perpetrator was not present at court.
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The judge found him guilty and sentenced him to €400 in damages to Hendrickx and €4,000 euros in fines and legal costs.
"That €400 will be put into our operation and will flow back to the cats," Hendrickx said. "Justice has been served for the kitten."
Regional plans of action
In February, the Flemish Parliament approved the proposals of the Flemish Minister of Animal Welfare Ben Weyts to tighten penalties for people and companies who mistreat or neglect animals.
The proposal included up to five years in prison and up to an €800,000 fine for first-time animal abusers or even up to ten years for repeated offences within five years. Poezemoeders in Turnhout said they were satisfied with the financial penalty in this case.
Before these regulations were introduced, animal abusers risked fines between €16,000 and €100,000 and a maximum of 18 months in jail for repeated and severe abuse.
In Wallonia, steps to limit animal abuse are also being taken with a new pet permit entering into effect on 1 July. This requires people to acquire a permit from the municipality prior to getting a new pet which certifies they have not been convicted of animal abuse.
