The bread breeder from Deurne who was sentenced to nine months in prison a month ago for serious animal abuse, has moved to Belgium and is keeping dogs there again. Animal rights organization House of Animals reported this on Friday after an investigation. The man’s lawyer says that he is not aware that his client resides in Belgium.
Checks and inspections carried out on the 38-year-old man’s property over the past three years revealed many abuses.
Skinny and in poor condition
The dogs had no dry and clean shelter, lay in their own feces and were denied clean drinking water. Many animals were in poor condition, were thin and had matted fur. In March, the National Animal Protection Inspection Service (LID) and the police removed 21 severely neglected dogs from the bread breeder, then still located in Deurne.
The man did nothing to improve the situation, despite the many checks and administrative measures imposed. During checks by the police and the National Animal Protection Inspectorate (LID), the man was repeatedly reminded that he needed a professional diploma for commercial breeding and trading in dogs. His administration was also not in order. Time and time again nothing changed.
‘Large-scale animal suffering’
‘Large-scale animal suffering’, the judge called it. In addition to the prison sentence, he was given a keeping ban. The 38-year-old bread breeder has appealed against the court’s ruling, his lawyer said on Friday.
Nevertheless, the man is said to have kept fifteen dogs in his home in Heerlen before he went to Scherpenheuvel in Belgium. He also advertised with dogs on Marktplaats, reports House of Animals.
“I think the chance that the dogs were brought to Belgium illegally and have not been vaccinated against rabies is very high,” says Karen Soeters of the animal rights organization. “We have contacted the police in Belgium, who have started an investigation.”
The dogs were lying in their own poop and had no clean drinking water. They were in bad condition, as it turned out earlier.