A routine intervention that leads to a dismaying discovery. On October 1, gendarmes went to a property in Saint-Germer-de-Fly, in the French department of Oise, for a matter unrelated to animals. On site, they discovered dogs and cats clearly abandoned to their fate. according to “Le Parisien”
The Animal Protection Action (APA) association is called to the rescue. Initially warned of the presence of around ten animals, its volunteers discovered a much more serious situation: 27 dogs and 31 cats were living in extremely unsanitary conditions.
“The owners didn’t even know how many dogs or cats they had. We found them almost everywhere, and they themselves were surprised,” Arnauld Lhomme, administrator of the association, tells the “Parisien”.
Skeletal dogs amid excrement
Inside the house, the rescuers discovered extremely thin dogs, moving among their droppings. Some suffer from a profound state of weakening.
Outside, the situation is not much better. The animals wander between mountains of garbage and car wrecks. Two wolfdogs are locked in a box, while the others live in groups, almost in the wild.
Volunteers suspect uncontrolled reproduction and cases of inbreeding. Only one eight-month-old puppy was found, raising questions about the fate of the other litters.
The 31 cats, adults and kittens, are no better off. Sick, emaciated and deprived of water and food, they also reproduced without apparent control.
Animals terrorized by humans
It took a day and a half to capture the 58 animals. All were then distributed to three French shelters, notably in Aix-les-Bains, in Savoie, and in Pontarlier, not far from the Swiss border.
Their management represents a considerable challenge. In addition to veterinary care, dogs will have to relearn how to trust humans. “They have no problem with aggression, but they are very afraid of humans,” explains the APA manager.
This operation takes place when the reception structures are already saturated. “We can no longer cope. We have too many requests and few places,” he laments. The association has filed a complaint and hopes that the courts will order a ban on keeping animals against the owners.
