NEWS IN SPAIN: First conviction for animal abuse handed to owners of pet shop in Spain

A COURT in Barcelona condemned the owners of a pet store in Guadalajara, Spain, for their continued abuse of animals.

Upon an investigation by the City Council, inspectors found several malnourished dogs and puppies being kept in abhorrent conditions at the Mundo Cachorro pet store, located roughly 60 kilometres northeast of Madrid.

A total of 135 animals were discovered on the premises, many of which were injured, dehydrated and suffering from high fever or respiratory problems. Some of the puppies were so maltreated that they subsequently died.

The inspection deemed the establishment’s care of animals to be unfit, with inspectors closing down the shop and reporting their findings to the police. 

During the sentencing, the judge handed the owners of the pet store a sentence of 1 year and 1 day in jail. We at Euro Weekly News understand that they have also been banned from handling animals for a period of 3 years.

During the ruling, the judge stated that the premises did not have an official record of the animals that they cared for, nor their diagnosis or medication guidelines. He added that the sick animals were not isolated and disinfection treatments was not carried out, “resulting in a serious lack of hygiene in cages which favoured contagion.”

In the opinion of the judge, the owners showed “indisputable neglect of the animals where there was absence of necessary treatment for sick puppies, which resulted in the death of nine ”. He added that there was “no type of justification for what has happened.”