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A migrant from Mali has been arrested in Italy for allegedly slaughtering a dog named Merlin in front of a pharmacy and then carrying the dog’s body home to eat in the city of Naro. The week before, police say he also tortured another dog by pouring boiling oil over the animal; however, the courts released the man, only for him to almost immediately reoffend.
The case is being widely shared on Italian social media, with Italians in shock over the torture directed at the dogs. In addition, animal rights groups and the Italian parliament have commented on the case.
Citizens reportedly witnessed the gruesome attack on Merlin in front of the pharmacy, and alerted the police. The man, a 27-year-old from Mali, carried Merlin’s corpse back to his home.
“He wanted to eat it,” writes Italian newspaper La Stampa. The incident has also been covered by a range of Italian newspapers, including Corriere Della Sera.
Media outlet Today.it has identified the dog as Merlin, which was well taken care of by residents of Nora.
In addition, Michela Vittoria Brambilla, president of Italian League for the Defense of Animals and the Environment (LEIDAA) and a member of parliament serving in the Parliamentary Intergroup for Animal Rights and Environmental Protection, also commented on the case:
“What happened in Naro, in the province of Agrigento, where a foreigner with an expired deportation order slaughtered a stray dog in the center of the town, in front of the citizens, is an unacceptable, repugnant act of violence. Italy is not a no man’s land and never will be. The Brambilla law has been in force since July 1, all that remains is to apply it. Anyone who has no right to stay and is responsible for similar crimes must be stopped and punished. I thank the police, who intervened promptly, but anger remains at the fact that an individual with a history of assaulting public officials could move freely,” she wrote.
Animal rights activists have also commented on the case, including Enrico Rizzi, who noted that this migrant had already been arrested for pouring boiling oil on a dog just the week before.
“Seven days ago, this non-EU man had already burned a poor stray dog with boiling oil and even attacked the Italian police who intervened,” said Rizzi, an animal rights activist. “The man had been arrested and immediately released by the judiciary. Back on the street, he took another stray and slaughtered it. He must be sent home.”
The Hope shelter in Agrigento shared a photo of Merlin as well, writing on Facebook: “He had been living free and looked after with love from the neighborhood for years. As citizens and as animal lovers, we will not remain silent: We will formalize a regular complaint to the competent authorities, asking for justice for Merlin and safety for all.”
The man is also known to have “wreaked havoc” in the town in recent weeks, including defacing the street Via Rosa, raising the question of why he was not brought to justice long ago.
Meanwhile, Brambilla wants the full force of the law to be used against the suspect.
“Killing an animal with torture not only offends our civilization and our conscience, but it carries a sentence of up to four years in prison and a fine of 60,000 euros. This is the law of a country that protects the weakest, starting with animals,” stated Brambilla.
The mayor of Naro, Milco Dalacchi, wants the man deported after being brought to justice.
“As an Administration, we reiterate that we have put everything within our means in place and assure citizens that we will continue to monitor the matter with the utmost attention so that all necessary measures are undertaken, including the deportation procedure against the individual in question. We trust in justice and the actions of law enforcement, renewing our ongoing commitment to the safety and decorum of our community,” he said.
The mayor also addressed the fate of Merlin, writing:
“Unfortunately, it was a small innocent soul who paid the price for this whole affair: a docile dog that was stationed in via Dante and who fell victim to the incident,” wrote the mayor.
The Mali migrant is currently facing numerous charges related to the numerous crimes he has committed.
The case appears to mirror claims made in the United States that Haitian migrants were eating dogs and other wildlife during the last presidential election.
However, this is not the only time a migrant has been accused of eating dogs in Italy.
Francesa Totolo, an Italian journalist, wrote on X:
Do you remember when, in August 2020, David Puente desperately tried to debunk what was documented by the undersigned, namely that the migrant had killed and eaten Mrs. Rosy’s dogs in Lampedusa? In front of a pharmacy in Naro, in the province of Agrigento, a non-EU citizen slit a dog’s throat and tried to eat it. Let’s also not forget the African who, in Campiglia Marittima, had killed a cat and then roasted it on an improvised barbecue.”
Regarding the last claim regarding a barbecue, she shared a photo of the incident on her X profile.
