A MAN has been ordered to pay €2,500 in compensation to a Costa Blanca dog owner after spraying acid at his pet because he was annoyed at its barking.

A Villajoyosa court also banned the offender with the initials W.B.W.(and nicknamed ‘Billy’) from having any contact with animals for 16 months.

The offences date back to November 2023 on the Albabista urbanisation in Relleu.

SOME OF HAN’S INJURIES

The convicted man used a syringe to spray the corrosive liquid through a fence at the dog owner’s property.

The substance caused chemical burns to the pet called Han and he also suffered an eye injury that needed treatment from a vet.

Municipal CCTV cameras in the area identified the perpetrator.

Han’s owner realised that something had happened after being the dog was doused by a yellow liquid, which also damaged some patio tiles and garden furniture.

The owner told the court that ‘the convicted man was bothered by Han’s barking as he passed’ and instead of choosing to walk elsewhere, he decided to hurt the animals.

Besides the compensation, the attacker has also been fined and ordered to pay costs.

The dog owner said: “Seeing Han with burns and that liquid in his hair was terrifying and I couldn’t believe that someone could do something like that out of pure cruelty.”

Lawyer Eloi Sarrio Santana, from the animal rights law firm Aboganimal- who represented Han’s owner- stressed that this case shows that animal abuse can occur in unusual ways such as chemical attacks.

He added that collecting evidence, especially videos, can be decisive in getting a conviction.
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