PETITION CLOSED
PETITION TARGET: Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub
UPDATE (3/28/2022): Nikolay Lukyanchikov pleaded guilty to aggravated animal cruelty and other charges and was sentenced to two to four years in state prison and a ban on owning or caring for animals, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer. The updated news stories say the sweet dog’s name was Preacher. We thank everyone who signed our petition, and we thank prosecutors for taking this case seriously. —Lady Freethinker Staff
*
Found charred nearly beyond recognition in an outdoor fire pit, a defenseless dog named Bonanza — who had been rescued from a Chinese racetrack years before — was reportedly shot in the eye and barbecued by his “guardian” in Northampton Township, Pa, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Police encountered the gruesome scene after receiving a call about an open fire in someone’s yard. While extinguishing the blaze, they found the mercilessly slain animal, who was barely identifiable as a dog due to the severity of the injuries.
Seated on a nearby bench with a gun by his side, allegedly too intoxicated to speak, was the dog’s guardian, Nikolay Lukyanchikov. The authorities found blood, bullet holes, and a second weapon — which is suspected to have been used to kill the dog — inside the home. The suspect’s roommate reportedly told officers that she had heard gunfire coming from his room earlier that day and that he had admitted to shooting the canine.
Lukyanchikov was charged with discharging a firearm into an occupied structure, reckless endangerment, and aggravated cruelty to animals.
He is currently being held on $1 million bail due to the heinous nature of his crime and because he is considered a threat to the community, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
This tragic case became even more horrific as details about the innocent dog, an eight-year-old Greyhound named Bonanza, emerged. A nonprofit had rescued Bonanza from the Canindrome in Macau, China — also known as the “worst racetrack in the world” — where handlers routinely killed underperforming dogs.
They had flown him 10,000 miles to the United States and treated medical issues from the abuse he had endured, setting Bonanza up to have the happier life here that he deserved.
This innocent dog deserves justice, and whoever slaughtered and burned this helpless animal must answer for their actions.
Sign this petition urging Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub to prosecute the suspect to the fullest extent of the law, including a lifelong ban on having animals.
