140 Mistreated Dogs Rescued From Two Illegal Kennels In Malaga Towns Of Mijas And Fuengirola

A 42-year-old man was arrested on the Costa del Sol after the discovery of two illegal kennels in the towns of Mijas and Fuengirola.

According to a statement released this Friday, July 7, by the National Police, the pet store owner was allegedly responsible for a continuous crime of animal abuse and another of animal abuse for sexual purposes through intensive procreation in hatcheries.

Incredibly, the police only discovered the activity after responding to a complaint filed at the Guardia Civil barracks in Mijas last May.

A dog owner reported the possible ill-treatment that her dog had received after admitting it to a pet shop in Fuengirola for treatment.

Shortly after, the complainant began to receive threats from the person in charge of the establishment, asking her to pay a sum of money or the dog would be killed.

She even received video footage of her dog, showing it in poor condition and clearly suffering from mistreatment. The owner’s attempts to retrieve her pet failed and she was again threatened that if she did not pay the requested amount, they would end the dog’s life.

17 dogs lacking official documentation were found in the pet store

During the investigations, police officers visited the establishment in Fuengirola in order to rescue the dog. Once inside, they found 17 dogs of different breeds that lacked documentation and official certificates.

In addition, these dogs were in hygienic-sanitary conditions that endangered their health. According to what the investigators were able to find out, the owner of the store had two kennels located in the town of Mijas, where the complainant’s dog was being kept.

The complainant’s dog was found dead in the kennel

Once these warehouses were located, the officers found the complainant’s animal – a water dog – lying lifeless on the ground inside a kennel, along with a total of 65 other dogs.

The two warehouses were allegedly being used as hatcheries by the pet store’s owner. Among the animals found in the facilities were numerous females treated as breeders. Some had lactating pups and others were in a state of gestation.

Both facilities were found to lack a zoological registry for the breeding of domestic animals and did not meet the precise conditions required of a breeding ground.

They lacked drainage systems for excrement, had no ventilation or natural lighting, and did not even have hygienic feeders and drinkers installed.

After the initial checks were carried out, a police intervention on the warehouses and pet store was coordinated with a veterinarian from the Official College of Veterinarians of Málaga.

They carried out the pertinent check of the different microchips in the Andalucian Animal Identification Registry (RAIA), managing to verify the hygienic-sanitary conditions and defenselessness of the animals housed in them.

Some dogs had to undergo surgery because the basic principles of animal welfare were not respected, and all of them had to undergo treatment.

A total of 140 dogs were found

In total, 140 dogs were rescued, with some suffering from serious illnesses while others suffered from skin lesions. Animals of large breeds had wounds on their extremities and on their ears. Some also had mutilations and dental fractures.

It is worth mentioning the discovery of certain medication in the facilities that causes abnormal development of the gestational stage of the animals.

Considering that the owner was not in a position to guarantee the health of the dogs, their protection was facilitated through individuals and different animal protection organisations in the province of Malaga. Some also had to be treated in veterinary centres, especially the pregnant females.

These facts: ‘reveal the merciless violation of the basic principles of animal welfare in the sale of dogs, in this irregular case’, stated the National Police, as reported by laopiniondemalaga.es.

Another illegal puppy farm was uncovered in the municipality of Mijas last month. At least 75 dogs were found by the authorities after conducting a raid, many of which were pregnant and being kept under inhumane circumstances.