Briton is charged with animal abuse after cops find nearly 550 dogs in cramped cages and burnt puppy remains
A 69-year-old British man has been charged with animal abuse after Spanish cops discovered 544 dogs being kept in tiny cages at an illegal breeding farm.
A 69-year-old British man has been charged with animal abuse after Spanish cops discovered 544 dogs being kept in tiny cages at an illegal breeding farm.
In a video shared by law enforcement, investigators can be seen showing the matted fur on the face of a Yorkshire Terrier before dozens of dogs are seen crammed into tiny cages stacked on top of each other in a run-down farm building.
Some of the cages contain puppies and their mothers, with matted fur dropping into the cages below.
The investigation started in March when officers from the Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA) of the Spanish Civil Guard began looking into the former rabbit farm.
The facilities were being rented by the British man, who had turned the site into a dog farm which he ran with a 50-year-old Romanian woman.
When SEPRONA arrived at the farm they found the 544 dogs which included breeds such as the Bichon Frise, Maltese, Poodle, Yorkshire Terrier, Pomeranian, Chihuahua, Shih Tzu and Gos Rater Valencia.
In the video, as investigators approach, malnourished dogs can be seen barking and jumping in the confines of their cages, seemingly desperate to be released, or excited to see people there to help.
Some dogs that have been set free from their cages and are shown running around outside the farm building at the feet of the investigating officers.
The officers found the dogs in the cages, which were meant for rabbits, whilst others were in areas of the farm where faeces and dirt covered the ground.
The dogs were reportedly suffering from a lack of water and food, with the Spanish Civil Guard saying they were also affected by a lack of veterinary attention.
A foul smell reportedly hung over the farm and the investigators reportedly found a metal drum full of ashes where animal bones and the body of a recently-burnt puppy were found.
The Guard also found a variety of veterinary drugs, many of which were out of date, which in any case could only legally be used by a professional.
Of the 544 dogs, 294 were adults and 250 were puppies, with 161 of the adults not having been micro-chipped.
The farm reportedly did not have the correct documentation to work in breeding and the authorities are yet to decide on the future of the rescued dogs.