"Modra olu" owner questions deer-attack theory after court hearing
Egg farm owner Modris Konovalovs said after an August 6 court hearing that case materials do not support the original claim his three dogs, later shot dead, attacked a roe deer. Four people face charges in the criminal case over the dogs' killing.
Modris Konovalovs, owner of the "Modra olu" egg farm, shared details of his court testimony on Instagram following an August 6 hearing in the criminal case over the shooting of his three dogs. He said the case materials do not confirm the initially reported version that his dogs attacked a roe deer.
According to Konovalovs, the deer was already dead before the incident and was missing roughly 30–40% of its body mass. He said only two small pieces of deer tissue were found in one dog's stomach, three pieces in another's, while the third dog had no deer remains in its stomach at all. He questioned how such a large portion of a deer could have been eaten in a yard without anyone noticing, suggesting the dogs may simply have been playing with each other rather than attacking the animal.
He also disputed earlier claims that the dogs were bloody after allegedly mauling the deer, saying the animals were clean. Konovalovs further told the court that one dog's injured muzzle was caused by a gunshot, not by fighting among the dogs.
Background of the case
The three dogs were shot dead on October 10 last year on private property in the Brunava parish of Bauska municipality. Following a State Police investigation, the case was sent to prosecutors, who initiated criminal proceedings against four people — three former Bauska municipal police officials and one hunter. The case was referred to the Zemgale District Court in late April.
The charges include exceeding official authority, negligent failure to perform official duties, and cruelty to animals. The head of the municipal police was later dismissed following an internal review.
