A 90-year-old man accused of binding a dog and burying it alive in a garbage bag was released under restrictive conditions after telling a magistrate he mistakenly believed the animal had already died.
The suspect appeared before an investigating magistrate in Thessaloniki on felony charges of attempting to kill a companion animal.
He was released pending trial but must report regularly to a police station and is barred from leaving the country.
Authorities also imposed administrative fines exceeding €30,000 ($31,600).
Police say the man bound the dog’s legs and muzzle with tape, sealed it in a bag, and buried it on his property in Nea Michaniona.
A passerby heard whimpering coming from the ground Tuesday morning and alerted authorities. Officers from the Thermaikos station dug the animal out by hand.
Investigators determined the dog, which is elderly and suffers from health issues, belonged to the suspect’s daughter.
During his testimony, the man claimed the animal was suffering and he had buried it only because he thought it had already succumbed to its ailments.
"I thought it was dead," he reportedly told the court.
The dog is now in stable condition after being treated by the Association for the Protection and Environment of Stray Animals of Eastern Thessaloniki.
It will be transferred to a shelter for ongoing care.