Cosby
10-16-2003, 07:05 PM
A man who trained his German shepherd to raise a paw in imitation of the Nazi salute won’t be prosecuted for the unusual trick, although he faces other charges, including allegedly shouting “Heil Hitler!” just before the dog’s feat, judicial authorities said Wednesday.
DISPLAYING NAZI SYMBOLS in public is a crime in Germany.
Police stopped the 54-year-old man, identified only as Roland T., in March after he was heard shouting the Nazi slogan.
As the officers watched, he called a command — “Do the salute” — to his dog, named Adolf, and the German shepherd mongrel raised its right paw, the Bild newspaper reported.
Since the man faces trial Thursday on several similar violations that are more serious, the Berlin court dropped charges relating to his training of the dog, said Bjoern Retzlaff, a judicial spokesman.
The man also was stopped by police at another time this year for shouting “Heil Hitler” on a busy street and for walking around in a Hitler T-shirt, Bild said.
He faces up to three years in prison under postwar laws meant to prevent any recurrence of Nazism.
DISPLAYING NAZI SYMBOLS in public is a crime in Germany.
Police stopped the 54-year-old man, identified only as Roland T., in March after he was heard shouting the Nazi slogan.
As the officers watched, he called a command — “Do the salute” — to his dog, named Adolf, and the German shepherd mongrel raised its right paw, the Bild newspaper reported.
Since the man faces trial Thursday on several similar violations that are more serious, the Berlin court dropped charges relating to his training of the dog, said Bjoern Retzlaff, a judicial spokesman.
The man also was stopped by police at another time this year for shouting “Heil Hitler” on a busy street and for walking around in a Hitler T-shirt, Bild said.
He faces up to three years in prison under postwar laws meant to prevent any recurrence of Nazism.