The case of animal abuse that occurred in Šaštín-Stráže on Záhorí has finally come to a resolution after several years of investigation. The perpetrator, who repeatedly struck his neighbor’s Alaskan Malamute with a wooden stick until the poor animal lay motionless, has been convicted of animal cruelty and handed a suspended sentence.
The disturbing incident, captured on a security camera, shocked the community. Tomáš Havlíček’s brutal attack left the Alaskan Malamute with a pierced skull and the loss of its left eye. The police launched an investigation into the matter, leading to Havlíček being charged with animal cruelty. The case then proceeded to court, where the dog’s owner, Michal Farkaš, recounted how the dog whimpered in pain as Havlíček struck him eight times.
According to the video evidence, Havlíček then callously dragged the lifeless body of the animal by its legs. In court, Havlíček claimed that he had asked his neighbor if he wanted to bury the dog, to which the neighbor allegedly replied that the dog was not dead and would recover.
After several hearings, the District Court in Senica found the defendant guilty of animal cruelty and sentenced him to one year with a two-year probation period, effectively a suspended sentence. Havlíček appealed the verdict, leading the case to be escalated to the Regional Court.
„We have been waiting for justice for four and a half years. The neighbor still believes he is innocent. He is not happy with receiving a two-year suspended sentence,“ Farkaš expressed. Despite the appeal, Havlíček was ultimately convicted of animal cruelty. Farkaš mentioned that the perpetrator never apologized throughout the entire ordeal, despite regularly crossing paths with him. Sadly, the dog passed away recently at the age of 12 due to old age.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of standing up against animal cruelty and seeking justice for innocent creatures who cannot defend themselves. It highlights the need for stricter laws and harsher penalties for those who commit such heinous acts. The community hopes that this verdict will serve as a deterrent to others and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
For more details on this distressing case, refer to the attached report above.