William S., a fifty-year-old man with marginal looks and a history of heavy drinking, is as disturbing as it is revealing of his violence. His recurrence of violence, having already been found guilty for similar acts in September 2018, is worrying. According to actu.frSince his arrest on Sunday May 21, 2023, he has been remanded in custody, and appeared on Wednesday May 24, 2023 before the Evry criminal court in the Essonne region of France.
Sentenced to nine months' imprisonment with electronic monitoring
The case proceeded fairly quickly, as William S. confessed to his crimes. The revocation of his suspended sentence and a permanent ban on owning an animal were declared, as was the confiscation of the dog that had been mistreated. Compensation of 300 and 600 euros was ordered to be paid to each of the animal protection organizations involved: Action Protection Animale, Stéphane Lamart and the SPA. As for his nine-month prison sentence, this was converted into house arrest with electronic monitoring, commonly known as an "electronic bracelet".
Rapid intervention saved the animal
On May 21, at 3:15 pm, a neighbor reported to the police the cries of pain of Cooper, a 13-month-old American staff, and the ranting of his owner. As soon as the door was opened, the terrified, bloodied dog fled the house, taking refuge behind the police. He was quickly given first aid before being taken to the Clinique Vétérinaire de l'Orge. Later, bloodstains were discovered in various areas of the house.
Testimonies gathered during the investigation reveal that William S. was seen mistreating his dog. In addition, his daughter reported that her father consumed large quantities of alcohol, particularly on the day of the incident. Veterinary examination also showed that Cooper showed no signs of aggression.
Significant increase in animal abuse cases since 2016
The reconstruction of events indicates that, following a disturbance caused by Cooper, which included chewing on papers, William S. violently struck his dog. In response, Cooper tried to bite his owner, who then took a kitchen knife and stabbed the dog ten times.
The representative of Action Protection Animale, during the hearing, expressed the unbearable agony Cooper had to endure. The SPA representative added that the number of cases of violence against pets and farm animals has risen by almost 30% in five years, which is extremely worrying.
Cooper was finally handed over to the organization Action Protection Animale by the courts, and was placed in a shelter to continue his recovery.
