Poles rally to support dog accused of eating 100 cabbages in neighbouring farm

Poles have been gripped, and amused, by an investigation broadcast on public television into the case of a dog accused of eating 100 heads of cabbage from a neighbouring farm.

The suspect, Ciapunio, pictured above, has received declarations of support and solidarity, while also becoming the subject of internet memes.

The case was brought to light on Sprawa dla reportera (meaning “Case for a Reporter”), a programme that has been shown by state broadcaster TVP since 1983. Its presenter, journalist Elżbieta Jaworowicz, seeks to intervene in disputes in order to help the parties find a solution.

In the latest episode, broadcast last week, she visited Janiszów, a village of around 400 people in southeast Poland, where two neighbouring families have long been in conflict.

Among the accusations was that one neighbour had killed a duck belonging to the other, resulting in the police being called out. However, viewers’ attention was caught above all by Ciapunio, who was presented on screen with a caption saying he was “suspected of eating 100 heads of cabbage”.

The dog’s owners told Jaworowicz that their neighbour had demanded that police take Ciapunio’s pawprints to prove that he had eaten the cabbages.

Among the various experts invited to discuss the case by Sprawa dla reportera was a former police superintendent, who confirmed that it is possible to take dogs’ pawprints as part of a criminal investigation.

The dispute led to an outpouring of support for Ciapunio on social media.

Piotr Kaszewiak – a lawyer who regularly appears on television, including on Sprawa dla reportera – published an image for his 71,000 followers on Instagram declaring his solidarity with Ciapunio and his belief in the dog’s innocence.

The hashtag he used, #muremzaciapuniem (which translates roughly as #SolidarityWithCiapunio), was then picked up by other social media users.

 

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A post shared by Piotr Kaszewiak (@piotr_kaszewiak)

“We cannot allow Ciapunio to be the only one convicted among those guilty of all these scandals and scams,” tweeted journalist Jakub Wiech.

“He’s on the run but the police are already on his tail,” responded another user on X (formerly known as Twitter).

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Main image credit: Sprawa dla reporters (screenshot)