Effective imprisonment for letting his dog die of hunger. Commentary on the Judgment No. 208/2015, 28th May, of the Criminal Court 2 of Palma de Mallorca, and the Resolution of the 13rd of October, 2015, of the Criminal Court 8 of Palma de Mallorca

Abstract

This commentary reflects the highlights of a pioneering case in the application of the crime of animal abuse in Spain: the dog named ‘Mix’, whose owner left to die of malnutrition in Palma de Mallorca. In the application of the condemnatory judgement, the judge rejected the request of the offender to substitute imprisonment by a fine, determining that the prison penalty should be enforced effectively, a judicial decision which was later confirmed by the Provincial Court.