Ex-shelter boss becomes first person in Spain to be jailed for animal abuse

Facebook/Lagun Izan Elkartea

THE disgraced former president of a Costa del Sol animal shelter is set to become the first person ever to be jailed for animal cruelty in Spain.

A Malaga judge has ordered Carmen Marin, who previously ran Torremolinos’ municipal cat and dog sanctuary, to enter prison within the next four days.

The landmark decision comes three weeks after the Provincial Court upheld a three years and nine months sentence in the wake of an appeal.

Marin was last year found guilty of slaughtering thousands of animals from 2008-2010, despite preaching a zero sacrifice policy.

In a statement the judge said that Marin injected cats and dogs with euthanasia drugs “without any veterinary control or form of sedation, using inadequate methods and lower doses than recommended, causing prolonged agony.”

This proved lucrative since the shelter received cash from the town council each time it took in a new animal.

Although the majority of the sentence is related to forged documents, it is a historic case since one year of the punishment is for animal cruelty, the first time that someone has been imprisoned for such an offence in Spain.

If Marin fails to present herself to police by Wednesday, a search and capture warrant will be issued in her name.

And her sentence could yet be extended as she and her two daughters remain under investigation by a Torremolinos court for suspected fraud, misappropriation and money laundering.

It is alleged that the trio used money from the shelter to fund a lavish lifestyle, including a €104,000 shopping trip, plastic surgery, luxury holidays to several countries, high-end cars and expensive meals.

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Comments


    • Helena

      12 November 2017 • 15:44

      This is actually the 4th time (at least) that an animal abuser goes into prision in Spain. The first two ones were in Majorca, thanks to the charity ABADA (Balearic Lawyers for the Rights of Animals) and the 3rd one in Asturias. Congratulations to everyone that made this possible!

    • Kally

      12 November 2017 • 18:27

      Fling her to some very savage dogs!!!!!!!!!! Pure evil!
      It’s time Spain started awarding minimum sentences of more than two years for animal cruelty – anything less, including the current one-year custodial term, will practically never have to be served as it is always suspended for a first offence. People actually being locked up for animal neglect and cruelty rather than just getting a symbolic black mark may act as a deterrent.

    • Doris Teasdale

      12 November 2017 • 21:05

      I hope she will spend a long time in prison absolutely heartbreaking all those poor dogs had to die because off greed

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