In Ardèche, the Longo Maï agricultural cooperative, responsible for the death of seven hunting dogs, counterattacked by initiating legal proceedings and filing a complaint against the hunters, owners of the canines, this Wednesday.
On December 16, around ten hunting dogs entered the enclosure of the self-managed farm, in the rural commune of Chanéac and attacked the pigs there.
A member of the association then seized a rifle and shot seven dogs.
Placed in police custody, he admitted the facts and having struck a hunter with a stick during a verbal altercation.
He will be tried on March 19 for
“intentional harm to the life of a domestic animal”
and
“violence”
.
The “traumatized” community
The dissemination on social networks and in the media of photos showing the slaughtered dogs had sparked a
“torrent of threats and acts of intimidation”
on these same networks and by telephone against the community, according to the lawyer by Longo Maï, Me Vincent Brengarth.
“There is moral damage because we have a community truly traumatized by what happened
,” he declared during a press briefing in Valencia, announcing the filing of a complaint against the owners of the dogs in Privas (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) for
“endangering others”
but also for
“dangerous animals wandering”
and
“unintentional attacks on the life or entirety of an animal”
, added the advice.
“We were in danger”
According to him, the community also suffered
“financial damage”
of
“at least 10,000 euros”
in legal and veterinary costs.
Lesions, due to bites, were noted
“on at least three pigs, one of which had to be euthanized because of its injuries
,” said Brengarth.
During the press conference, the perpetrator of the shooting regretted his action, while ensuring that he had
“no other choice”
than to kill the hunting dogs.
“We were in danger
,” after trying to push the canines away with their bare hands, with screams and despite warnings, he said.
He
“acted in a strict state of necessity”
without
“any kind of premeditated character”
, according to his lawyer.