A woman failed to take her dog along when she moved from her rented property in Vila Real de Santo António.
As the landlord did not visit his property for three months but when he did, the desiccated dog was found dead at the apartment in Bairro 28 de Junho.
The woman had lived alone at the apartment after a relationship with the landlord’s son had ended.
The police were called by the shocked apartment owner and the incident now has been handed over to the Public Prosecutor's Office which will use the new animal welfare laws to bring a case against the dog’s owner.
The law covering the mistreatment of animals, which entered into force on October 1, 2014, states that "anyone who, without reasonable cause, inflicts pain, suffering or any other physical abuse to a companion animal is punishable with imprisonment up to one year or a fine of up to 120 days."
