Spanish police said Thursday they have opened an investigation into the suspected poisoning of nearly 50 cats, a crime that could land the perpetrators several years in prison under a new animal protection law.
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The incident occurred in the village of La Carlota, near Córdoba in the south of the country, where residents discovered the bodies of at least ten stray cats at a local landfill on December 31.
Alarmed, the animal rights party Pacma filed a complaint with the Civil Guard over “the massive poisoning of a group of 47 cats” that some of its members had cared for for several years.
“Some animals were found in surrounding containers, others were lying on the street,” says the complaint, seen by AFP.
According to Pacma, only one young cat was found alive, but “in very bad condition.” The other cat members of the group, whose bodies were not found, have disappeared.
According to a spokesman for the association, they probably died in the surrounding forests as a result of poisoning.
Agents from the Guardia Civil Nature Conservation Service were dispatched to the scene of the accident on Wednesday.
“They are investigating whether the deaths were due to poisoning or other causes. And if there has been a crime, they try to identify the perpetrators,” a police spokesman told AFP.
Under a new law that came into effect in September, anyone found guilty of animal cruelty that resulted in the death of an animal could face up to three years in prison. Previously the sentence was 18 months.
This animal protection law, which tightened oversight of pet breeders, also made the sterilization of cats, except for breeding places, mandatory, as animal rights groups felt better control of animals was necessary.
In a separate operation, police said on Thursday they had dismantled a network suspected of importing puppies from Hungary and Slovakia to sell them in Spain using false documents. According to police, eight people were arrested. They claimed to have recovered around a hundred animals during their searches.