Acquitted for rescuing his cat from a neighbouring house

The owner's cat had escaped. (Archive image.) | Efe

Andrew EdePalma21/12/2022 09:15

The Provincial Court in Palma has overturned the ruling of a lower court and acquitted the owner of a cat who smashed a shutter in order to rescue his pet, which had escaped and entered an empty house.

The owners of the property filed a complaint against the cat's owner. A court in Manacor found him guilty of a minor crime of damage and ordered him to pay a fine.

In Cala Ratjada on November 4, 2021, around one in the afternoon, the owner heard his cat meowing; it was in a neighbouring house, which was unoccupied at that time. In reversing the original decision, the Provincial Court stressed that animals are "sentient beings" and that the actions of the owner did not therefore constitute a crime.