A resident of Khmelnytskyi Oblast was sentenced to prison for throwing a toy terrier out of a window

The Netishyn City Court in Khmelnytskyi Oblast found local resident Serhii Bondarchuk guilty of animal cruelty resulting in the animal’s death. For throwing a dog out of a seventh-floor window, he was sentenced to five years in prison. 

This is stated in the court’s verdict dated May 22, 2026.

The incident occurred on January 10, 2025, on Nezalezhnosti Avenue in Netishyn. At that time, passersby discovered a dead toy terrier near a high-rise building and called law enforcement. The investigation established that Serhiy Bondarchuk, who was intoxicated at the time, was involved in the animal’s death.

In court, the defendant did not admit his guilt and tried to convince the court that the dog had jumped out of a window left open for ventilation on its own while he and his partner were drinking beer in another room. This version was supported by the defendant’s common-law wife and mother. However, witnesses to the incident refuted this testimony, noting that after the animal fell, Bondarchuk behaved extremely aggressively, prevented anyone from helping the injured dog, urged them to “put it to sleep so it wouldn’t wake up,” and even tried to strangle the wounded dog.

Judge Ihor Bezkrovnyi classified the defendant’s actions under Part 3 of Article 299 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (cruel treatment of animals committed with particular cruelty or involving two or more animals). Taking into account all the evidence and witness testimony, the court handed down a guilty verdict with a prison sentence. The convicted man still has the right to appeal this decision.

In Kyiv, the Dniprovskyi District Court handed down a harsh sentence to a 31-year-old local resident, finding him guilty of cruel treatment of a stray dog, which led to its death. The perpetrator was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison.

Meanwhile, a bill has been introduced in the Verkhovna Rada that tightens regulations on the keeping of both wild and domestic animals. For the first time, imprisonment will be introduced for smuggling them.