Man banned from keeping animals for six months after kicking dog repeatedly in Caleta de Fuste

The Puerto del Rosario Court of Instance has convicted an Irish citizen, R. G. M., of animal cruelty after he repeatedly kicked one of his dogs in the abdomen in the street in Caleta de Fuste. Numerous residents and passers-by witnessed the incident and shouted at him to stop beating the animal.

The sentence, handed down on 4 November, fines the defendant €270 and disqualifies him from keeping animals for six months.

The case was reported by the Canary Islands Association of Lawyers for the Defence of Animals (PROTA), after one of its lawyers witnessed the attack.

Kicks in the street in front of numerous witnesses

The incident took place on 22 April 2026 in Calle Alcalde Francisco Berriel, in Caleta de Fuste, in the municipality of Antigua.

According to information provided by PROTA, the man was walking two dogs when, for reasons that have not been established, one of them bolted in terror and sought shelter at the entrance to a residential complex.

Its owner went after it, visibly enraged, while dragging the second dog along the pavement by its lead.

When he caught up with the dog that had run away, he began kicking it hard in the abdomen.

The attack took place on a busy street and was witnessed by numerous people, who rebuked the man and demanded that he stop beating the dog.

However, according to the account given by the association that reported the incident, the man later went inside the residential complex, where he continued kicking the animal.

PROTA complaint and Seprona intervention

The Canary Islands Association of Lawyers for the Defence of Animals filed a formal complaint after one of its lawyers witnessed the incident.

During the investigation, the Civil Guard’s Nature Protection Service (Seprona) confirmed that the dogs had no objectively identifiable injuries, despite the reported attack.

This was decisive in determining the criminal classification of the offence and the sentence imposed.

PROTA explains that under the Criminal Code, animal cruelty that causes no injuries requiring veterinary treatment does not carry a prison sentence. The conviction therefore resulted in a fine and a temporary ban on keeping animals.

The court accordingly imposed a €270 fine and a six-month disqualification from keeping animals.

Public cooperation key to conviction

PROTA highlights the importance of the people who witnessed the attack, both in challenging the owner’s behaviour and in helping ensure the incident was reported.

The association says that public cooperation was essential in bringing this case of animal cruelty before the courts and securing a conviction.