The owner of a neglected dog found in March under a picnic bench in a playground in Emmen, was found guilty of animal deterioration by the police judge in Groningen. The judge imposed a community service sentence of 80 hours, of which 40 hours are conditional. The probationary period has been set at three years.
The dog was found in a worrying state at the end of March: dehydrated and strongly lose weight. The animal ambulance picked up the animal and brought it to a veterinarian. The owner could be traced via the chip number. The dog was seized in consultation with the Public Prosecution Service.
The judge ruled today that the animal is rightly not going back to the owner. The dog has been forfeited. This means that the animal remains definitively owned by the daycare or will get a new owner in the future.
The conditional part of the community service was not demanded, but was added by the court as a clear warning. If the convicted person takes a dog again within three years, that community service is hanging over the head like a ‘stick’.
As soon as the dog has recovered sufficiently, a new owner is being sought.