After several reports from residents of a building in Gorron (Mayenne), in February 2024, the gendarmes went to the home of the tenant of an apartment, in the presence of the owner. Neighbors had alerted several times about the presence of trash cans in the common areas and the barking of dogs.
Very emaciated dogs
Despite a letter addressed to the young tenant, the latter did not see fit to be present during the meeting. So it was the owner of the apartment who opened the door. They noticed a lot of waste strewn on the ground, odors of animal urine and excrement. Two husky dogs were present, very emaciated, visibly suffering from serious abuse. A snake also resided in this apartment.
The examination of the dogs by a veterinarian confirmed the great weakness of the animals and their malnutrition, having probably been deprived of water, food and care for some time.
Read also: What to do if you find an abandoned animal? We answer you
Not a single rent paid since its installation
The owner of the premises explained that his tenant, a 24-year-old woman, had been there for 6 months, but had not paid a single rent. He himself had been alerted by the neighborhood to the barking and the presence of garbage bags. The tenant then denied having dogs in her accommodation. He had tried, in vain, to make her leave the premises.
The defendant was able to be interviewed and finally admitted to having custody of the two dogs, entrusted to them by their master.
The SPA knew of these dogs, due to a report made on their website against the owner.
“The dogs almost died”
“The dogs almost died”underlined the lawyer for the civil party. He requests the confiscation of the animals and their return to the SPA.
The prosecutor indicates that the defendant, who did not appear in court, “made the choice to abandon the animals at his home”. She requests a reclassification of the facts as voluntary abandonment exposing the animal to an immediate risk of death, in order to what “This indictment corresponds more to reality.”
The court accepted the reclassification of the facts and sentenced the young woman to three months in prison, with a simple suspended sentence. In addition, he orders the confiscation of animals which will be handed over to the SPA and the ban on keeping dogs for 10 years. She will also have to pay €500 to the SPA for damages.
