Overview
- Owner Sandrine M. received a two-month suspended sentence and intermediary Christophe B. received three months suspended in a verdict delivered on January 8 by the Marseille criminal court.
- The court imposed a permanent ban on keeping animals and awarded damages to civil-party associations, including groups represented by the SPA Marseille-Provence.
- Police concluded the killing was arranged through an intermediary and reportedly carried out by two poachers; the suspected shooters were not prosecuted due to a lack of proof, according to courtroom reporting.
- Spike, a border collie, was found on June 11, 2025 in the Allauch hills with a split skull, roughly 250 birdshot pellets, and a leash tied to a tree, and he died during surgery at the SPA.
- Prosecutors initially pursued more serious cruelty charges and had requested stiffer sentences—one year suspended for the owner and two years for the intermediary, including one year under electronic monitoring—before the court requalified the case.