“It was terrible for me. In hindsight, it was a mistake not to have her euthanized right away.” A 47-year-old naturopath made her mea culpa on Wednesday before the Supreme Court of the canton of Zurich. She was judged there for not having found the strength to end the suffering of her sick dog four years ago.
In December 2021, her 11-year-old Yorkshire suffered from hip paralysis. He was very thin, had a kidney tumor and his spinal cord was damaged. A few days apart, two veterinarians “strongly recommended” euthanizing the animal, but the forty-year-old never managed to bring herself to do so. It was finally the cantonal veterinary office, informed, which intervened to put Cara to sleep, in January 2022. The same day, a second dog of the Zurich resident was confiscated, then euthanized a few months later, also for health reasons. .
“I first wanted a diagnosis,” she explained on the stand to justify her wait-and-see attitude. A wait-and-see attitude perceived as animal abuse, since the veterinary office and the Public Prosecutor’s Office prosecuted her for violation of the animal protection law. At first instance, the woman received a 50-day suspended fine, in November 2023. Not enough for the prosecutor, who appealed, demanding a year’s suspended prison sentence and a fine of 1,000 francs. “The accused acted for selfish reasons,” she stressed.
In the end, the Supreme Court split the pear in two. The naturopath escapes prison, but her fine will amount to 1000 francs. “The accused did not torture Cara, it was simply negligence,” the judge said. She had no bad intentions and loved her animals.” Since then, the forty-year-old, on welfare, has no longer adopted any dogs and does not intend to do so.
