67-year-old pensioner threw his own dog from sixth floor — and changed his story three times
A man in a state of intoxication threw a Bichon Frise out of a window in Kyiv's Sviatoshynsky district, then subsequently denied his involvement in the crime. The case has become part of a record wave of proceedings for animal cruelty.
By Tetiana Suchkova-Ladik
June 10, 2026 · 2 min read
On June 9 in the Sviatoshynskyi district of Kyiv, on Chornobylska Street, volunteers found a dead Bichon Frise under the windows of an apartment building. The animal's body was discovered not by relatives or neighbors — but by volunteers. The investigation established that the dog was thrown from the sixth floor by its 67-year-old owner, who at the time was in a state of alcohol intoxication.
Three versions from one owner
When law enforcement questioned the man, his explanations changed three times: first he claimed the dog did not belong to him, then he stated that it bit him, and finally — that the dog allegedly fell out of the window on its own. According to the investigation by the Sviatoshynskyi police department, none of the versions was confirmed.
The Bichon Frise dog was thrown from the sixth floor window by its owner, who was in a state of alcohol intoxication.
— Main Directorate of the National Police of Ukraine in Kyiv
Under the procedural guidance of the Sviatoshynskyi District Prosecutor's Office, the man was notified of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 299 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — cruel treatment of animals resulting in their death. The sanction provides for up to eight years imprisonment.
Not an isolated case — a record year
This case entered into statistics that are themselves a warning signal. According to data from the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, in the first five months of 2025, 386 criminal proceedings were opened under Article 299 of the Criminal Code — this is 3.7 times more than in the same period last year, and an absolute record. The previous annual maximum — 220 cases — was recorded in 2020.
- In 80% of new cases, suspicion has already been served
- Only 4% of all proceedings have reached court
- This year, courts have already issued 20 convictions
The gap between the number of suspicions and actual convictions remains critical: the system registers crimes much faster than it brings them to conviction.
Will this proportion change if the case of the 67-year-old Kyivan — with three versions from the suspect and a dead animal at the scene — does reach court trial on the merits?
