A 60-year-old woman from Vaud will stand trial on April 4 for killing her American Staffordshire terrier in self-defense after it attacked her. The incident occurred in July 2021, just a month after the woman had adopted the dog. The prosecutor is charging her with violating the Federal Act on Animal Protection and has requested a suspended financial sentence and a fine of 300 francs as well as court costs. This is an unprecedented situation where an owner intentionally took the life of their animal. The judge from Yverdon will have to determine whether the woman’s actions were criminally reprehensible. A dog attacking its owner is rare, and even rarer for an owner to kill their pet.
“I strangled my dog to save my life”
A 60-year-old Vaudoise will be tried on April 4 for having killed her American Staffordshire terrier who had just attacked her violently. She pleads self-defense.
“Tilleul” was 2 and a half years old when Monique* took him in in France. On the day of the tragedy, July 1, 2021, she had held it for barely a month.
DR
A dog that bites its master or mistress is something of an exception. It is even rarer for an owner to intentionally take the life of his animal. These two unprecedented situations are at the heart of a criminal investigation opened in July 2021. A judge from Yverdon will have to determine at the beginning of April whether the fatal strangulation of an American Staffordshire terrier (amstaff) by its holder, then 58 years old, is criminally reprehensible in the circumstances. In any case, this is the opinion of the prosecutor Claudia Correia, who is prosecuting her for violation of the federal law on the protection of animals. The representative of the Public Prosecutor’s Office requests a suspended financial sentence, accompanied by a fine of 300 francs. and payment of court costs.
The case of the Vaudoise woman who strangled her dog to save her own life is a tragic one. It brings to light the difficult situations that can arise when an animal attacks its owner, and the tough decisions that must be made in the heat of the moment. While the woman pleads self-defense, the prosecutor is seeking punishment under the animal protection laws. The trial is set for April 4th, and we will have to wait and see what the judge decides. In the meantime, we can only hope that this case prompts a necessary conversation about responsible pet ownership and the importance of ensuring the safety of both humans and animals.