A man accused of abusing his dog, leading to the death of the animal, has become the target of widespread public outrage in Belgium, including setting his house on fire.
On the evening of July 4, a man in the Belgian town of Dalhem was filmed driving with his dog, a German Shepherd, bound to the outside of the car being dragged along the road.
A women filmed the incident and shared the video on social media, which provoked widespread outrage in Belgium over the perceived animal cruelty.
The dog did not survive the incident and soon after, the man received death threats and things escalated further on the night of July 6, when his home in nearby Oupeye was set on fire.
On the shutters of the house, someone had written “dog killer” and “revenge for your dog”.
Those in the house were able to escape the house uninjured.
🚨 MALTRAITANCE ANIMALE À LIÈGE ! Un chien traîné par une voiture entre Dalhem et Visé, mortellement blessé. Le conducteur jette l’animal dans son coffre après s’être arrêté. Plainte déposée ! Les lois belges prévoient des amendes et peines de prison. +15% de signalements en… pic.twitter.com/6vsMcH9AnN
— RADIOROMA (@RadioRomaX) July 5, 2025
The Liège public prosecutor’s office has been notified and has opened two investigations, one over alleged animal abuse and one for alleged arson under aggravated circumstances.
“An expert has been requested to determine the causes of the fire. The first investigative duties suggest that it was an arson attack committed at night in the presence of people in the house,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Anyone found guilty of the allleged arson attack would face a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
During his hearing with the prosecutor, the dog’s owner said he had been to a bar at around 7pm and left his dog in his trunk, attached by its leash.
The man explained that he returned to his vehicle at around 10pm and mistakenly thought the dog was asleep in the back of the car.
He said he had been warned of the situation by a female driver. It was at this point that he realised that his dog was tethered to the outside of the rear right window of his car, he claimed. The man untied it, put the animal’s body in back of the vehicle and left, he said.
The dog owner risked imprisonment up to three years, a fine of more than €800 and a ban on keeping any more animals should he be found guilty as charged.
At the time of writing, an online petition calling for “justice” for the dog had gathered more than 36,000 signatures.
“We demand that the perpetrator of this act be identified, prosecuted and convicted, and that no extenuating circumstances be accepted,” the petition read.
On July 6, Serge Fillot, the mayor of Oupeye appealed for calm.
“We had to deplore an arson attack at the home of the person [allegedly] incriminated in the death of the dog this weekend.
“He was able to get out of his home but I can see that the case is taking on a whole new dimension with the death of a dog that is turning into a manhunt and attempted murder, since setting fire to a house during the night knowing that a person lives there is called attempted murder,” he said.
“This is not tolerable, even if the facts are dramatic with the death of an animal in a rather cruel way. We cannot tolerate a manhunt.
“It is up to the justice system to settle history and not to vengeful citizens who do not know history. Let’s let the justice system take its course, and I will take measures,” Fillot added.
Christian Lindner, former German vice chancellor and finance minister, has accidentally run over a dog with his car. https://t.co/g19ub6G15U
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) May 5, 2025
