Panhellenic Animal Welfare and Environmental Federation

A man who skinned two stray puppies, removed their nails and hung them last August in Hania on the island of Crete was arrested on Wednesday after he was identified by police forensics teams via DNA testing.

It was the first time police had used DNA analysis to track down a suspect connected with animal cruelty.

The Attica Zoological Park at Spata, west of Athens, has accused its critics of "hypocrisy" over the fatal shooting of two rare jaguars that escaped from their enclosure in November.

The incident, which was announced on Saturday, triggered criticism of the zoo by the Panhellenic Animal Welfare and Environmental Federation and Giorgos Amyras, a lawmaker for To Potami.