It's a sight no one can forget. Last Friday afternoon, Belgian motorist Victoria witnessed a scene on a country road that she describes as "unbearably cruel".
She encounters a vehicle with a dead dog hanging from its side, tied to a lead! The animal is dragged mercilessly across the tarmac. The lifeless body of the German Shepherd scrapes along the ground for miles. The speed? Up to 80 km/h at times!
Horrifying sight
Victoria is horrified. "I honked my horn, again and again. I simply couldn't believe what I was seeing." Eventually, the driver brings his car to a stop. But what follows next makes her shudder.
The man gets out, approaches her car and asks if she's the one who was honking. Victoria seizes the moment and confronts him: "How can you do that to your animal?" The response comes coldly, indifferently. "I do what I want. It's my dog."
Then the man unties the lead, picks up the dead German Shepherd, and throws it carelessly into the boot. For Victoria, that's the final straw.
She describes the incident on Facebook and posts a picture of the car, though without showing the number plate. But this doesn't stop everyone's fury.
Outrage becomes revenge
Within hours, Victoria's post spreads rapidly. Hundreds of thousands see it. Comments, threats and calls for justice follow. A petition gathers over 50,000 signatures against the dog owner.
And then, a witch hunt begins: internet users identify the man, track down his workplace, his home address, and something terrible happens.
"It became a proper manhunt," says Serge Fillot, mayor of the Belgian commune of Oupeye, later.
In the early hours of Monday morning comes the escalation: the man's house goes up in flames.
"I was informed around 3 o'clock. Someone had set fire to his home. Fortunately, he managed to save himself." That's what the mayor reports on Belgian television.
But the act has reached a new dimension. What began with a dead animal is now criminal arson and possibly attempted murder.
The perpetrator has a different version
The dog owner had reported himself to the police in Hermalle on Saturday. His statement: the dog had jumped out of the window and he hadn't noticed until it was too late.
For many, this sounds like an excuse. However, investigations are also underway against the unknown individuals who set the fire.
Mayor Fillot appears deeply affected: "The cruel killing of a dog became an act of vigilante justice. Whoever sets fire to the house accepts the possibility of a person's death."
The authorities announce protective measures for the man, both at his home and at his workplace.
This case leaves more than just anger about animal cruelty. It shows how quickly outrage and the desire for justice can turn negative. A fatal development.
