MEXICO CITY (AA) – Authorities in the state of Puebla in Mexico said Wednesday that a man was convicted of killing 32 deer, attacking them with different dogs.

Officials said Ricardo N entered a deer sanctuary at Puebla’s Volcanic park in the city of Serdan with dogs of different breeds and sizes, unleashing them and causing the deaths of 32 deer that were attacked and mauled.

A control judge ordered the defendant to sign periodically, pay retribution and prohibit Ricardo N from leaving the state, approaching any victims and witnesses, or going to the park’s facilities.

The case comes on the heels of a historic trial in the state of Queretaro against a man who poisoned two dogs in 2021.

The defendant in that case was sentenced to 10 years in prison and had to pay a fine of more than $115,000. The trial set a legal precedent in Mexico, ensuring that animals are considered legally sentient beings.

​​​​​​​Mexico ranks third in animal cruelty worldwide and number one in Latin America, according to some sources.