On Saturday, April 8, a young man was arrested by police after having thrown his dog from a bridge in Rouen, France. It was a passerby, who was shocked by the scene, who called law enforcement.The dog, a young Pitbull and Dalmatian mix, was thrown for the first time into the Seine River from a height of 26 feet. After letting him painfully crawl back up the banks, the 24-year-old homeless man, obviously drunk, went down to fetchthe animal before throwing him back in the river a second time.[caption id="attachment_33751" align="alignnone" width="1200"]
Corneille Bridge in Rouen, September 2015. Source: Richard Plumet[/caption]It was shortly after the second fall that the police were called, immediately confiscating the dog who was "traumatized" according to France 3 Normandie who reported the events. The animal was handed over toSociété Normande de Protection des Animaux (SNPA) and the man was placed in a cell at the Rouen police station.Questioned about theintentions behind his actions, he explained that the dog had been mocked by his friends, so he wanted to "toughen him up" by throwing him off the bridge.[caption id="attachment_33752" align="alignnone" width="450"]
A Dalmatien-Pitbull mix (illustration photo). Source: Karisa Zaroba[/caption]The man was released on bond and will faceanimal cruelty charges, risking two years in jail and a 30,000 euro fine.
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