Trial begins in Bauska dog shooting case; owner tearfully describes puppies
The court has started hearing the case of three dogs shot in Bauska district last October. Three police officers and a hunter face charges, while the dogs' owner said two of the animals were puppies.
Legal proceedings have begun in a case that drew widespread public attention last year, involving the shooting of three dogs in Bauska Municipality. Three police officers and a hunter are now facing charges in connection with the incident.
What happened
According to the indictment, police received a report on 10 October about stray dogs that were described as aggressive on a property in Brunava Parish. Two officers were sent to the scene. Instead of calling in the municipal animal-control service, the police chief reportedly contacted the head of a local hunting collective.
Prosecutor Ilze Seveljeva said the case is unusual because three state officials are involved: one officer gave the order to commit a criminal offence, while two others were present and did nothing to prevent it.
Defendants' position
The hunter who shot the dogs, Gatis Minkevičs, does not admit guilt. In court he said he did not understand the charges and claimed the actions were coordinated with the duty officer. The former police chief, Egils Gailis, also pleaded not guilty. He said he had not made a decision to kill the animals, had not spoken to the hunter and had ensured a patrol crew was dispatched.
After the incident, two police officers received disciplinary punishments, while the chief lost his post.
Owner's testimony
The dogs had strayed from the farm of influencer Modris Konovalovs. In court, he was too emotional to read his prepared statement and asked his lawyer to do it instead. Konovalovs said the dogs were peaceful and had been like family members. He described them as Bora, an adult female dog; Bruno, her nine-month-old son; and Čipi Ļipi, a puppy under four months old. Thus two of the three killed dogs were puppies. “They had their whole lives ahead of them!” the statement said. The owner said he was convinced the situation could have been resolved differently, without breaking the law and killing the dogs.
The court did not allow Konovalovs' testimony to be filmed, and he declined to comment to TV3 News.
Case continues
The trial is not over; the court still needs to hear additional witnesses. The next hearing is scheduled for 11 August.
