Man convicted in Austria for mailing cat to Germany

A court in Vienna sentenced a 20-year-old man to a six-month suspended sentence for animal cruelty after he tried to send his cat by parcel to Germany. The case occurred in April last year when employees at a logistics centre in Lower Austria noticed movement in the package, Der Spiegel reported.

After it was opened, a grey cat jumped out and was subsequently caught and given food and water.

The animal, named Shana, was later placed in a shelter. Police identified the owner, who appeared in court. During the trial, the man denied guilt and claimed the cat had been placed in the parcel by the postal service. He said the package was supposed to contain a guitar and suggested a conspiracy by the delivery driver.

The judge rejected his account and found him guilty of animal cruelty. The court handed down a six-month suspended prison sentence. The defendant indicated he would consider lodging an appeal. Shana has since been taken in by a new owner.

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