The sentence was imposed on Monday by a judge based on an animal welfare law that has been in effect in the Central American country since 2017.
The man had thrown the cat named Ochi from almost 100 feet from the window of a skyscraper in the capital San José in 2019. The incident was captured in a video that was widely circulated on online networks. As a result, an investigation was launched against the man in August 2020.
The judge now imposed the highest possible sentence on the 31-year-old under the Animal Welfare Act, but suspended it with probation. The man was ordered not to commit any violence against animals for the next five years or he would face jail. He was also banned from keeping pets.
(SDA)