“Inside, it was disgusting. » A couple from the Belfort region was fined more than 12,500 euros on October 24 for animal abuse after the discovery of dozens of animals dead or kept in unsanitary conditions at their home in July, reports France 3 this Thursday. They faced three years of imprisonment.
Four months ago, a total of twenty dead cats, including 14 frozen kittens, were found by the police. 22 other cats, seven dogs and four birds victims of apparent mistreatment were discovered and entrusted to the SPA. The neighborhood, worried about the animals, had made several reports to the police.
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“The animals lived in the dark, among garbage and their own excrement”, explained the public prosecutor, Jessica Vonderscher.
The couple, probably suffering from Diogenes syndrome (a form of behavioral disorder associating a tendency to accumulate objects, or even unsanitary conditions) and Noah syndrome (a disorder which leads to owning too many animals), lived in extremely unsanitary conditions. Waste, human and animal defections and animal corpses accumulated in the home. “Inside, it was vile,” Jacky Chipaux, the mayor of Chaux, confided to our colleagues.
The trial of the animal owner, aged 52, and her partner took place on Thursday October 24 at the Belfort criminal court. They were found guilty of mistreatment, illegal possession of animal corpses, and placement in an environment that could cause suffering. They are ordered to pay a fine of 12,500 euros.
The prosecution, which had requested a definitive ban on keeping animals, a suspended prison sentence and obligations of care and work, indicated its intention to appeal. The fifty-year-old, who claims to “love animals”, had already been targeted by another for similar acts in 2020 and 2021.
