More than four hundred guinea pigs were seized last Wednesday with an 80-year-old breeder in the municipality of Westerveld. The animals were in polluted lofts, did not have enough space and did not have suitable food or clean drinking water.
“Many rodents were sick and had skin problems,” said the National Animal Welfare Inspection Service (Member). “Some also had fighting and bite wounds and some were partially paralyzed. The inspectors also found dead animals. The guinea pigs were housed at a reception location where they receive the right care.”
The owner of the animals was an 80-year-old woman. After the seizure, she has renounced the guinea pigs, so that the knots can be relocated quickly. The public prosecutor has imposed her a one -year holding ban.
It is not the first time that the inspection service has taken large numbers of guinea pigs with the 80-year-old woman. In 2022, the member discovered more than six hundred and fifty guinea pigs in the woman’s yard, many of which were poorly cared for and housed. After conversations with the inspector, she decided to stop breeding and giving away from most animals.
For more than a year, the woman was regularly checked whether she was well cared for and housed the remaining animals. It was also monitored whether she was not again breeding with the animals for trade. She kept neatly there and her file was closed.
But with an unexpected check, the woman is now caught again. That is why this time all animals have been taken and the owner is no longer allowed to keep guinea pigs for a year. The inspection service checks this prohibition every quarter and a violation immediately leads to seizure again. The woman also risks a prison sentence in the event of a violation of the prohibition.
During the last check, the woman not only received a ban on holding for guinea pigs, but also for chickens. During the check, 18 were seized to stay in a seriously polluted loft. Several birds were lame, had lime legs, ulcers and aphid.
In addition, the inspectors found some dachshunds with poorly cared for teeth and coats. There were also around thirty parakeets with polluted cages and a lack of clean drinking water.