Two hunters who killed a podenco dog by hanging it from an olive tree before throwing its body into a ravine in Malaga have avoided jail.

The men were sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison each after reaching an agreement during a trial linked to the death of the dog, named ‘Acollarado’, in Almogía in 2021.

Despite the custodial sentences, the pair will not serve time behind bars because they have no prior criminal convictions.

The case was pursued by animal rights party PACMA alongside more than a dozen animal protection groups, including the Malaga Animal Protection Society.

Although prosecutors initially sought 11 months in prison and private prosecutors requested 18 months plus a four-year disqualification, the final agreement included the aggravating factor of cruelty under Spain’s former Article 337 of the Criminal Code.

The men have been banned from hunting, obtaining hunting licences and owning animals for four years.

They must also complete an animal welfare awareness course, a measure welcomed by campaigners who hope it will become more common in future animal cruelty cases.

According to the prosecution, the incident took place on February 6, 2021, when the two men took the microchipped podenco to an area known as El Madroño in the Arroyo Coche district of Malaga province.

There, they hanged the dog from an olive tree, causing it to die from asphyxiation.

Its body was later found in a nearby ravine.

The prosecution argued the hunters killed the dog because it was no longer useful for hunting.

Court documents also stated the men watched the animal die ‘while laughing and drinking beer’, according to testimony from a passer-by who reportedly witnessed the scene and alerted authorities.

Carmen Manzano, president of the Malaga Animal Protection Society, said the sentence could help shape future animal abuse cases, particularly due to the mandatory welfare course.

She said: ‘It is regrettable how insufficient the Criminal Code is, both before and now, but despite this we welcome the fact that convictions for animal abuse are becoming more normalised, that crimes do not go unpunished and that we can achieve increasingly tougher sentences.’

PACMA also described the punishment as insufficient given the severity of the case, although the party said the ruling marked ‘an important step forward’ in the fight against animal cruelty, particularly in cases connected to hunting.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.