Fire in Penafiel exposes horrific animal cruelty – Portugal Resident
A wildfire affecting what has been described as a “private animal shelter” has exposed horrific animal neglect. IRA (standing for Animal Rescue and Intervention) found dogs and horses that were “already dead before the fire broke out”.
The group suspects crimes of animal cruelty and neglect.
As SIC Notícias reports, when IRA was called out by firefighters to a situation in the village of Luzim, it expected to find a straightforward case of rescuing animals in danger due to the area’s wildfire.
Tomás Pires, president of IRA, states that they received a report of animals in need of care and, on arrival, found “that there were carcasses and animals that could constitute cases of animal cruelty and neglect”.
The private kennel contained several structures housing animals, all of which had been engulfed by flames. Inside, the IRA found some animals alive and others dead.
“We’re talking about around 15 live animals and around 5 to 6 carcasses. There are dogs, cats and horses here. The horses were decomposing, so they did not die as a result of the fire,” explains Pires, raising suspicions that they may have been victims of animal cruelty rather than simply the fire that engulfed part of the kennel.
In addition to decomposing corpses and other animals living in unsanitary conditions, the main residence itself showed similar signs.
“There is a clear accumulation of waste here, with food being fed through the bars and inside the dwelling… [this constitutes] a crime of neglect, but it will have to be dealt with by the relevant authorities. A person living like this clearly has a cognitive disorder; it will be up to the relevant authorities to identify this disorder, but clearly this is not normal.”
The case has been handed over to the relevant authorities and, according to IRA, could lead to criminal proceedings.
Other reports on this sad case explain that the kennel was ‘illegal’ and that local people had already complained to authorities over the condition of some of the animals, which they said lived in appalling conditions and were emaciated.
The wildfire, however, which affected the parishes of Duas Igrejas, Luzim and Vila Cova was brought under control early this morning, albeit over 200 firefighters and dozens of vehicles remain in place, to tackle any possible reignitions.
Source material: SIC Notícias
