A Petah Tikva court on Sunday sentenced 62-year-old Yitzhak Shar to one year in prison after he pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm, threats, and animal abuse. The sentence followed a plea deal and also included six months suspended and 4,000 shekels in compensation to the dog’s owner.
Shar was recorded in April, alongside his 32-year-old son Boaz, seizing the dog of a neighbor who allegedly complained the pet was noisy, choking the dog, and threatening to kill it. The court stressed that “an animal is a helpless creature, and it is the duty of the courts to protect it.”
Footage of Yitzhak Shar attacking the dog of his neighbor
According to the indictment, Shar grabbed the owner by the hand and kicked the dog. When she told him not to touch the pet, he responded, “Get out of here,” and pulled the leash tightly, choking the dog. He then told her, “We will kill it.”
Shar proceeded to punch the dog repeatedly, step on it, and strangle it with the leash until foam came from the animal’s mouth. The dog was then lifted and hung by its collar over a wall. Boaz Shar intervened and joined in assaulting the owner, pulling her to the ground and grabbing her hair.
The prosecution sought a 25-month sentence. Dog owner Clara Rishkin testified about her trauma: “It started before the incident, after I moved. He said he would make the municipality take my dog because of his barking. I was constantly anxious. Even after the attack, it took time for the dog to recover. I’m in therapy and cry all the time—I can’t get over it.”
Prosecutor Koral Tobel described Shar’s actions as “brutal and unrestrained, intended to teach the victim a lesson,” noting the stark power imbalance and his ten prior convictions demonstrating a pattern of violence.
Defense attorney Fadi Hamdan argued for leniency, citing Shar’s post-trauma status, claiming the assault on the dog was minor and that Shar had been bitten by the animal. Shar apologized in court, stating he has had no connection to violence or crime in recent years.
Court ruling
Judge Oded Moreno ruled that protecting helpless animals is a fundamental legal duty, noting the harm to both the dog and the owner. Shar’s son, Boaz, who faces charges of assault causing actual bodily harm, is still awaiting trial.
The video of the attack previously sparked outrage online, with some viewers vandalizing Shar’s car. Rishkin’s sister said the dog has since recovered, adding, “At the end of the day, the decision on how to hold these two accountable will be made. We’ll make sure justice is done.”