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ANIMALS

Swiss police arrest animal breeder after shocking photos show mistreated horses

Police arrested a breeder on a farm in Hefenhofen in the canton of Thurgau on Monday after photos emerged of severely malnourished and mistreated animals at the property.

Published: 8 August 2017 09:13 CEST
Swiss police arrest animal breeder after shocking photos show mistreated horses
File photo: AgaKoniara/Depositphotos
During the raid Thurgau authorities seized the farm’s 300 animals, which included horses, pigs, cows, goats, sheep and even llamas, and took them to a safe place under veterinary supervision, Thurgau police said on Tuesday. 
 
Warning: distressing photo below
 
The raid was carried out by a special task force put together after photos emerged in newspaper Blick last week of severely malnourished horses. 
 
The photos were taken by a former employee who lodged a criminal complaint against the breeder, claiming that 13 horses had already died of hunger and others were extremely malnourished. 
 
The breeder already had several convictions for animal cruelty, reported Swiss media. However the farm had been subjected to many inspections in recent months and no evidence of mistreatment had been found, Thurgau interior minister Walter Schönholzer, leading the task force, told the press after the raid.
 
However, authorities decided to act quickly after the photos were authenticated by the prosecutor, proving that the animals were neglected and housed in inadequate conditions, he said.
 
The breeder was taken into custody and will be investigated under cantonal animal welfare laws on suspicion of mistreating animals. He was also issued with an immediate ban on breeding animals.
 
Supporters of animal rights demonstrated outside the Hefenhofen farm on Sunday and Monday morning as well as outside a Frauenfeld building housing the cantonal authorities, urging them to act, reported Blick. 
 
They were protesting at what they saw as the authorities’ inaction over several years, when the breeder’s alleged mistreatment of animals was widely suspected in the community. 
 

PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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