Daniel Frères, president of the animal rights association “Give us a voice” and former president of the Pirate Party, had been accused of giving surgery to a dog without his owner’s approval, and then refusing to return the animal to her. Frères claimed the animal had been mistreated, that the owner had agreed to the dog’s surgery, and that she could have her pet returned to her at any time.
The appeals court upheld the original fine of 2,000 euros, but dropped the suspended 6 month prison sentence.
