The **Laboulaye holiday court** (Córdoba), under the jurisdiction of judge Sebastián Moro, sentenced two men to six months of probation for **acts of animal cruelty** as provided for in Law 14.346 (Sarmiento Law).
The events took place in December 2024 in that city in southern Córdoba, when both men, in the backyard of a house, **killed a greyhound dog** with a gunshot and blows using a mallet and a cinder block. A neighbor had recorded the incident on video.
Rules of conduct and psychological treatment
The sentence includes some particular rules of conduct for two years, and as a special obligation, Moro imposed on them **regular psychological treatment**. They must prove their compliance monthly before the competent execution court, until the acting professional deems it necessary.
The accused spontaneously admitted their guilt in the incident, so the process was given the initial abbreviated trial procedure and had the participation of an animal protection society as a private plaintiff.
Rationale of the ruling
Judge Moro justified the measures taken based on the “deployed violence” and **”unnecessary cruelty”** against the animal. He also emphasized the importance of guaranteeing the physical and mental integrity of animals as a protected legal asset.
What is the Sarmiento law about animals?
On July 25, 1891, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies of the Nation sanctioned the National Law of Animal Protection No. 2786, which set a precedent in terms of recognizing animal rights. It was known as the “Sarmiento Law” in commemoration of the former president’s performance in animal protection matters.
Among other points, the law established the **prohibition of animal abuse** throughout the national territory, and also that the police authorities would cooperate with the Argentine Society for the Protection of Animals to enforce the law.
Its nature was regulatory, meaning that it established fines for offenders, but no prison sentences. It can be said that this regulation is the precedent of the current Law 14346 enacted in 1954, which was of a penal nature and also **a pioneer of its kind in Latin America**.
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