On May, 13, 2007, Vasiliy Volgin decided to get rid of some stray puppies that had found their way into his allotment. After catching one animal, he then strangled it with a piece of barbed wire in presence of three children, aged four, five and 11.
The man, who is said to be notorious in the neighborhood for drowning stray puppies and setting traps for dogs, does not deny his actions, but regrets nothing.
"He said that in Soviet times he often did such things, and was thanked for it," Komsomolskaya Pravda, a popular Russian tabloid, quoted a neighbor as saying.
Cases of cruelty to animals rarely come to trial in Russia. According to Russian law, offenders can face a fine of up to 80,000 rubles ($3,300), up to six months in prison, or a year of community work for cruelty to animals.
