THE Guardia Civil have opened an animal cruelty investigation against several people responsible for a shelter for abandoned animals in Almeria who were keeping 66 dogs in deplorable conditions.
The dogs were found with evidence of malnutrition and living in filthy, stinking conditions, full of ticks and fleas.
The officers also found the bodies of several other dogs in the shelter, in different stages of decomposition.
Acting on a tip-off given by an individual belonging to an animal protection association, the Guardia Civil made an initial visit to the shelter.
Upon inspection, the Guardia Civil found all the animals at the shelter were living in conditions that presented a threat to the animals’ health.
The majority of animals lacked access to water and food and were in poor health with ‘excessive thinness.’
During the inspection, the Guardia Civil personnel verified how different associations, national and international, had collected animals for adoption, about 1,000 to date.
It was a member of one of these associations which sounded the alert to the deplorable conditions of the animals.
The proceedings have been placed at the disposal of the Court of First Instance and Instruction number 1 of Huercal-Overa (Almeria).
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