On Monday, April 14, police in the Rivne region launched an investigation into a video in which an unknown man shot a dog in the head while holding it on a leash. The next day, law enforcement officials reported that they had already identified the killer.
The police in Rivne region reported this on Facebook.
What law enforcement officials say
The police said that they found the video around 17:30 on one of the telegram channels (we are talking about the channel “Divoglyad 5.UA | Channel 5” – ed.) and immediately began to investigate the circumstances of this outrageous case.
Screenshot from the video.
Soon, official information appeared that the culprit had been found. It was a 42-year-old resident of the Rivne district, who is currently in a pre-trial detention center for committing crimes under Part 3 of Article 146 (illegal imprisonment or abduction of a person committed by an organized group, which caused grave consequences) and Part 2 of Article 115 (attempted murder) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
According to the Criminal Investigation Department, the incident captured on video took place in 2021.
The animal rights organization UaAnimals says that the Rivne police have already opened criminal proceedings under Articles 299 and 300 of the Criminal Code, i.e. for cruelty to animals and distribution of materials promoting violence.
Reaction of society and authorities
As soon as it became known about the demonstrative killing of the dog, a wave of anger and indignation shook the network. On her Instagram page, volunteer and animal rights activist Snizhana Bugrik urged everyone to share the video and tag law enforcement agencies.
According to her, the incident took place at the Polissia Sarny hunting ground in Rivne region. Snizhana Bugrik claims that the monster organizes dogfights and shoots dogs in the head for fun. She wrote that the person who did it is already known.
The animal rights activist reminded that both cruelty to animals and the creation of videos of animal killing are punishable.
“This person is dangerous not only for animals but also for society! Society demands punishment! People will not allow the case to be “closed” and put on the brakes!” she emphasized and called for punishment of the perpetrators.
The volunteer called for the hunting ground management to be brought to justice, as it became known that illegal dogfights were taking place on its territory.
UAnimals lawyers filed a complaint with the police about the ill-treatment. The organization thanked all those who were not indifferent who tagged them and spread this outrageous story. Animal rights activists reminded that animal fighting is prohibited in Ukraine.
“This is stipulated by Article 25 of the Law “On Protection of Animals from Cruelty”, as well as Article 299 of the Criminal Code, which provides for liability for setting animals on fire,” the lawyers explained.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine also reacted to the horrific shooting of the dog. The agency issued a statement calling such actions absolutely unacceptable. The Ministry of Environment is investigating the circumstances of the case and has also officially appealed to the National Police of Ukraine and law enforcement agencies at all levels.
What is known about the alleged killer
After the police reported on the discovery of a suspect in the brutal execution of the dog, Snizhana Bugrik expressed serious doubts that the police had actually found the killer. She assumed that law enforcement officers wanted to write off this crime on a person “who has already been detained and will take this guilt as well.” She called on anyone with information about the fights and animal killings to share it in order to establish the truth.
Telegraf, citing information from the telegram channel dtp.kiev.ua, reported that the attacker in the video is named Nadiyko (according to other sources, Nadeiko) Mykola Mykolayovych. It is reported that in 2005 he was convicted of the murder of British citizen Kieran Downes, but was released on parole in 2010. It is also noted that he is a suspect in other kidnapping and murder cases.
EcoPolitic, along with hundreds of citizens, will closely monitor the development of this case. Harsh punishment for animal cruelty should become a normal and acceptable practice for our society.
The other day, we reported that a woman who threw her dog off a bridge is on trial in Kyiv region.
