Photo: Dario Belingheri/Getty
Italian professional cyclist Antonio Tiberi has been fined and suspended after pleading guilty to shooting and killing a cat belonging to San Marino’s Minister of Tourism, Federico Pedini Amati.
According toCNN, a court in San Marino fined Tiberi 4,000 euros, equivalent to approximately $4,250.
Per the outlet, the 21-year-old admitted using an air rifle he purchased in June 2022 to shoot Amati’s cat, resulting in the pet’s instant death.
Tiberi apologized for his actions on Twitter, calling them “tremendously stupid and irresponsible.”
“I deeply regret my shameful actions,” hesaid.
“I did something tremendously stupid and irresponsible, the seriousness and danger of which I realized only after the act,” he continued. “I don’t want to make excuses.”
Tiberi, who lives in San Marino, also announced that he would donate his prize money from this season’s winnings to animal welfare organizations in San Marino and volunteer with those organizations in person.
Dario Belingheri/Getty
In his response, Amati expressed his appreciation for Tiberi’s apology but appeared to suggest the cyclist could lose his residency status in the republic. He also criticized Tiberi’s fine.
“The cat didn’t bother anyone,” Amati told theCorriere della Seranewspaper, perBBC.
“It had been with us for a long time. My three-year-old daughter Lucia loved it. You cannot kill a pet and get away with a 4,000-euro fine,” he added. “I appreciated that the boy admitted the fact. Having said that, we don’t need to give these people residence.”
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Tiberi’s cycling team,Trek-Segafredo, condemned his actions and suspended him without pay for at least 20 days, including three races in Italy.
The team also announced they were donating Tiberi’s suspended pay to an “appropriate animal care, protection and rescue organization.”
source: people.com
