Brutal Revenge Against Animals as Two Dogs Poisoned and One Stabbed in the Belly

Cases of brutal treatment and revenge against animals continue in Armenia. This time, the founders of the "Cupid Shelter," Mushegh Chaghlasyan and Armine Hovhannisyan, are raising the alarm. In a conversation with EcoNews.am, Mushegh Chaghlasyan reported: "We kept 6 dogs in a small piece of land. Yesterday, we came and found that two had been poisoned, and today one’s belly was stabbed with a knife, and they left. I reported to the police yesterday, and I called them again today. They left the animal in the same condition and went away. Our area is fenced off, and someone entered our territory and did this."

When asked if the dogs had caused any disturbance to anyone, he replied, "Neighbors complained a few times about the barking, and maybe they decided to do this."

Chaghlasyan further detailed that the dogs were perfectly healthy, but when they arrived yesterday, one was found dead, while the other was near death. "We took the animal to a veterinary clinic; they examined it, and they said that this resembles poisoning, but it's hard to tell exactly what kind of poison it is. Any kind of poison could have been used, just thrown in with some meat to lure them into the shelter," he added.

The report reminds that the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia stipulates criminal liability for cruelty against animals. Article 258.2 states that cruelty to an animal, such as causing its life to end through methods like strangulation, hanging, dismembering, inflicting severe blows, whipping, shooting, poisoning, or injecting substances that lead to cruel or painful death, as well as skinning or amputating an animal alive, throwing it from heights or vehicles, organizing and conducting animal fights, and conducting scientific experiments on animals in violation of established procedures, among other forms of cruelty, shall be punished by a fine ranging from one hundred to three hundred times the minimum wage, or arrest for a period of one to three months, or imprisonment for a maximum of one year.

Furthermore, the same act committed by a group of persons in prior agreement, with particular cruelty, in the presence of minors, or against two or more animals shall be punished by a fine ranging from three hundred to five hundred times the minimum wage, or imprisonment from one to three years.

When asked if they have reported this to the Armenian police, Mushegh Chaghlasyan emphasized, "The police give surprising responses. They came yesterday, I recounted the incident, and they said, 'Why did you call us?' I replied, 'Who else should I have called?' I called again today; I waited and waited, and they still hadn't come, so I called again and asked, 'What happened?' They said, 'Well, you reported yesterday, what’s the point of coming now...' Now they are finally on their way."

Warning: The publication contains images depicting brutality.