(JA)Dog-maiming case goes to court

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Dog-maiming case goes to court

 

OSAKA -- Police turned over to prosecutors Wednesday their case against a

63-year-old man arrested for allegedly cutting off a puppy's leg in order to

scam money for the dog's operation.

Police said the man, whose name was not disclosed, sawed off the right front

leg of a 3-month-old female Dalmatian in late November. They added that he

bought more than 10 puppies from pet shops from around December 1999 and cut

off their legs as well and then tried to solicit donations from passersby

claiming the money would go toward the dogs' treatment.

 

Following his arrest last month, police quoted the man as saying he thought

he could obtain money by cutting off the Dalmatian's leg because somebody

once gave him 20,000 yen to pay for a vet to treat another dog he had that

had a broken leg.

 

Police said the man took the dogs one at a time to downtown Osaka and put up

a sign that read: " Please donate money because my dog was hit by a car. " He

collected some 1 million yen from passersby, according to investigators.

 

The man selected dogs without pedigree or with scars and bought them at

discount prices ranging from 7,000 yen to 8,000 yen each, police said.

 

The scam first came to light around May when an animal protection society in

the city's Yodogawa Ward reported to police that a man was soliciting money

on the street by showing off injured dogs.

 

The man has allegedly violated the revised Law Concerning the Protection and

Control of Animals that went into effect Dec. 1. The revised law contains

stricter regulations for protecting animals and harsher penalties for animal

abusers, including a maximum one year prison term or fines of up to 1

million yen.

 

The Japan Times: Jan. 18, 2001

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