A two-and-a-half-year-old male husky had almost all his teeth knocked out by his owner in Vienna, then beat him half to death. Thanks to an aid organization, the animal barely survived – and is suing in court with a lawyer for his treatment costs.
Barely survived the abuse at the hands of his former owner: male husky Buba at his new foster homeDog search help
Dogs are just people too. Many of them experience more bad things in a short period of time than others do in a dog’s entire life. In the vast majority of cases, people are to blame when a dog’s life goes to waste.
But sometimes there are cases that exceed the level of suffering, cruelty and indifference. Like that of the husky Buba from Vienna-Favoriten. The extremely friendly animal was so tortured by its owner that even the most experienced animal rights activists were at a loss for words.
In the end, fate was kind to Buba. He survived the ordeal and is currently recovering from his ordeal in a foster home. And as soon as its – now former – owner goes to court, he will have to deal with something new. Because Buba is probably the first dog in Austria to be provided with a lawyer.
What the lawyer should achieve for the four-legged friend in the process, how it is possible for an animal to be a party in court and whether the example could set a precedent – This is what you need to know about this unique case:
What is it about?
About the fate of the two and a half year old purebred male husky Buba from Vienna-Favoriten. He was beaten so badly by his owner that the neighbors were able to record the animal’s cries of pain through the walls to report to the animal welfare association Dog search help to sound the alarm.
Two employees of the dog search assistance after the successful rescue of the husky
Dog search help
What happened then?
Employees of the dog search assistance filed a report and, supported by the police, they went to the apartment where Buba was being tortured.
And?
The animal’s owner quickly confessed. He wanted to punish the animal because it had chewed up the furniture in his apartment.
Is it normal for dogs to do this?
As it turned out, the owner left his animal alone in the apartment for up to 14 hours a day. “If I spend even a little time with dogs, it must be clear to me that it cannot work,” says Regina Drlik, head of the Dog Search Help Center.
Weil?
Basically, you don’t leave a dog alone for that many hours. But some breeds deal with such extreme situations more calmly than others. “Huskys are working dogs that have been trained by nature to live in packs and get a lot of exercise,” says Regina Drlik. If you leave an animal like this alone for so long, it can react with such outbursts, which is normal.
What did the owner do?
He beat his animal with a belt until it lay whimpering in the corner. He cut the husky’s legs with a razor blade – veterinarians later found part of the blade in the dog’s oral cavity. And he kicked in almost all of his teeth. When the police came, Buba didn’t have a whole tooth left in his mouth.
Was Buba taken from the man?
No, the owner was convinced to donate the animal to the dog search aid.
The two and a half year old male is only now learning that people are not just bad
Dog search help
Why this?
“The police cannot take an animal away, only the official veterinarian can do that,” says Regina Drlik. If that happens, the dog would first go to the animal shelter – not the best experience for a tortured animal soul.
What if the animal is given away? “If we as a club receive the dog as a gift, it will immediately go to a foster home with experienced dog owners, as long as its health is looked after,” explains the head of the dog search help. Your employees therefore always have gift contracts ready so that they can react quickly in cases like this.
WWhat happened next with Buba?
He was first taken to a veterinary clinic to treat the worst injuries and then to a foster home where they are familiar with huskies. He is still there – and presents himself as an exemplary animal.
To what extent?
“Buba was mistreated and tortured in the worst possible way,” said Regina Drlik. “But now he is still friendly, approachable and open with his new caregivers – unimaginable.”
So a happy ending for Buba?
Definitely up to here. Whether and how quickly he will find a good place where he can stay for the rest of his life remains to be seen. First, Buba has to get healthy again. He still has to undergo two dental operations so that he can use his teeth somewhat normally again. And he will play a role in the criminal case against his former owner.
Which role?
Buba is probably the first dog in Austria to be provided with a lawyer because: “We want to give the poor animal a voice, draw attention to what was done to him by his owner and do something to ensure that this animal torturer receives his just punishment,” says Regina Drlik.
Taken over the “Buba case”: lawyer and animal lover Sascha Flatz with employee Rafaela Goj and the “law firm animals” Pablo and Miko
Sascha Flatz
What’s the ulterior motive?
“Animal abusers are a danger to society,” says Regina Drlik. But in such trials such perpetrators are still often treated too leniently. “I want to increase sensitivity on the part of the judiciary,” said the animal protection officer.
Who will this lawyer be?
Sascha Flatz, criminal lawyer in Vienna and self-confessed dog and animal lover. His Labrador Retriever Pablo has his own employee entry on the Homepage of the successful law firm and also shares the office with law firm cat Miko.
How is this supposed to happen?
“The Hunde-Such-Hilfe association is now the owner of Buba and I represent the association as a lawyer,” says lawyer Sascha Flatz, explaining his plan. “As such, I join the criminal case against Buba’s former owner for animal cruelty (§ 222 Criminal Code) as a private participant.
What does that mean?
On the one hand, Sascha Flatz would like to recover the treatment costs for the animal, which are now around 4,000 euros, even though the treatment is far from complete, from the person who caused the injuries. And also liability for subsequent treatment costs that are necessary due to the torture.
And further?
“In this way I can also influence the criminal proceedings against the man, for example in the form of requests for evidence, questions to the defendant or by questioning witnesses,” said the lawyer.
What is the goal?
In the end, to achieve the most adequate punishment possible for the animal abuser: “Everyone knows that public prosecutors are very overloaded and have to deal with countless terrible crimes,” said Flatz. “We want to give them some support in this matter. The way in which the dog was viciously and sadistically tortured should also be reflected in the verdict.”
His fate should increase the sensitivity of the judiciary: Buba can finally relax without fear
Dog search help
What punishment awaits the ex-owner of the tortured husky?
“If he is a first-time offender in good standing, i.e. has not yet been convicted of this or another crime, then he will receive a maximum of eight months to one year of conditional imprisonment if he is found guilty,” says lawyer Flatz. Postscript: “Although the evidence in this case is pretty clear.”
Does the lawyer collect his usual fee for this?
No, he took on the case pro bono, said Sascha Flatz. “I don’t get anything for it, I do it completely for free. I’ve always been very fond of animals and would like to help the club to at least get Buba’s treatment costs back.”
Has he ever taken on a case like this before?
“No, this is the first time,” said Sascha Flatz. And the lawyer doesn’t want to rule out taking action again in the future: “It makes me angry and annoyed when animals are tortured. I want to do something about it because I think we humans have a duty to protect animals.”
date: 2026-02-12 22:09:00