Horse trader Toon Sprangers (66) from Wagenberg is angry that his two ponies and horse were taken two weeks ago by the National Animal Welfare Inspection Service (member). The animals were a hole, their teeth in poor condition and, according to the member, they got too little and unsuitable food. Sprangers sees that differently: “It’s just pure old age.”
“I think it’s a shame,” says Sprangers. “I was taking care of those animals all day. They received old bread, apples, vegetables and concentrates. I also have medicines in stock.”
According to the horse trader, the animals are more than thirty years old. “What do you expect from very old horses? They are fine, this is just pure old age.”
Ton Hamers lives with the horse dealer in the yard. He underlines the story of Sprangers. “I’m sure they were being well cared for,” he says. “They were given good food every day. One of the horses was already skinny when Toon bought him. It was only three or four weeks and still had to reconsider.”
Sprangers already received several warnings from the member in the past that he should take better care of his animals. During a new check two weeks ago, the situation of the ponies and the horse appeared to have deteriorated. The inspection service feared the life of the animals and decided to take them into custody.
“They don’t have to keep attacking me on my past.”
Sprangers says he wanted to help the animals on top again. “They would have become better if I could have continued to eat them. But the inspection didn’t believe that.”
The horse and the two ponies were the last to have the trader. In 2013, 110 seriously neglected ponies and horses were removed from his site. He was then convicted of neglecting his animals. Sprangers was sentenced to two months in prison with a probationary period of three years. He was no longer allowed to practice the appeal from the judge.
“They hurt me a lot by removing these last horses,” says Sprangers with tears in his eyes. “They don’t have to keep attacking my past. If they were so bad, why didn’t they choose to let them sleep on the spot?”
“Maybe there will be new horses.”
The neglected animals are now provided at a secret reception location. The trader pays for all costs for transport, temporary accommodation and (medical) care. He also received an official report from the police.
Despite that, Sprangers is still not going to stop keeping horses. “Maybe there will be new horses again. But we have to wait and see how things will go.”
