After the killing of a Yorkshire terrier: New footage also shows an attack on a Pomeranian in Krastova Vada

New footage from a security camera shows a man kicking a Pomeranian in front of a block of flats in Sofia’s Krastova Vada district. The video shows a woman walking her dog while a man wearing a dark jacket, hood and backpack stands opposite her. After a brief conversation, he approaches the animal and kicks it.

The footage was recorded in front of the same block of flats where hundreds of people gathered in protest on 2 November. The unrest was triggered by another case of violence against a dog in the area.

According to the owner’s account to bTV, her small dog was kicked during a walk and died on the spot. She said she had not known about a previous case of aggression involving the same man.

“We did not even know that there had been a previous case involving aggression by this person,” the owner said.

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said that the suspect in the dog’s death was at the Sofia Directorate of Interior together with his lawyer. He is due to be detained.

“The Sofia Directorate of Interior immediately responded to the report of a small dog being killed. The suspect was identified and declared wanted because he was in hiding,” Demerdzhiev wrote.

According to the minister, the police established the man’s identity and took action to locate him. At the time of bTV’s report, he was identified as a suspect, not as a convicted perpetrator.

The case provoked a strong public reaction. At the protest in front of the block, people called for accountability in cases of violence against animals.

“We live in a sick society in which aggression and violence are part of our daily lives,” said Yavor Gechev, an animal rights activist.

Gechev also said that there had been information about aggressive behaviour and attacks on people at the same location as early as Friday. According to him, the police had been searching for the man, and what happened could have been prevented.

“There had already been information about this man since Friday that he had been acting aggressively and attacking people at the same location, but the police are still searching for him. This crime could have been prevented,” he said.

Further action in the case is expected to continue after the suspect’s detention. More details about the legal classification and subsequent measures were not provided in the published information.