Animals beaten to death, abandoned horses without food or water in the middle of a heatwave or dogs sick with mange or leishmania and without treatment. Some examples of animal abuse, and reason for the Civil Guard to investigate 34 people for various crimes of assault and abandonment of pets in the province of Málaga. Moreover, this concerns 111 abused animals in various municipalities in the province.
The operation has been carried out in animal shelters, zoos, livestock farms and private kennels. Agents of the Nature Conservation Service (Seprona) under the direction and coordination of the Environmental Prosecutor’s Office of Málaga, were able to rescue 111 animals “in a dire situation.” A total of 236 inspections were carried out in which more than 500 violations of the regulations were found.
Animal abuse
The most common problems are related to animal welfare. This includes inadequate housing to lack of food, water, hygiene or veterinary care. Also, the documents and medical records were often missing.
All kinds of things have been observed: from leashed dogs that stay in totally unhygienic areas, drinking bowls with stagnant green water or very sick animals that have never seen a veterinarian.
Leishmania and other diseases
During their inspections, the officers found dogs suffering from leishmania, mange and other types of diseases. The animals did not receive medical attention. Furthermore, other animals had their ears and tails amputated without any justification. In addition, they also found abandoned horses without food or water in the middle of a heatwave. They even found animals that were beaten to death.
The 34 people investigated face sentences of up to 18 months in prison if the abuse involves aggravating factors. This includes the use of weapons, the cruel execution of the acts or abuse committed by the owner. This is stated in the recent reform of the Criminal Code. However, if the animal dies, the punishment could be between one and three years in prison.
Previous complaints of abuse
Sources stress that most of the cases investigated stem from previous complaints. In fact, the environmental prosecutor in Malaga, Fernando Benítez, explained to EL PAÍS at the end of 2023 that there is a “greater social sensitivity” to animal cruelty and that the number of complaints was getting higher and higher. “
“ People are taking the step to report and that’s important,” he told El PAÍS. He also stated that both the officers of Seprona and the various animal protection groups that exist in the municipal police services and the National Police are very effective.
