270 dogs which had their vocal cords CUT by illegal dog breeders to stop them barking and giving away their hideaway are rescued in Spain
- The dogs, mostly Chihuahuas, were found in the basement of a house in Madrid
- At least two of the animals were found dead, frozen and wrapped in newspaper
- Five have been arrested, including two vets who helped lend the gang legitimacy
- Group had registered more than 1,400 dogs in the Royal Canine Society of Spain
Police in Spain have rescued 270 dogs which had their vocal chords cut to stop them barking and giving away the breeders’ hideaway.
The puppies, mostly Chihuahuas, were discovered in the basement of a house in Madrid, Spain, and were kept in very poor and unhygienic conditions.
The basement was divided into three areas – a breeding area, a sales area and an area of animals ready to breed.
At least two of the dogs found by police were dead, frozen and wrapped in newspaper. Many others were locked away in cages.
The puppies, mostly Chihuahuas, were discovered in the basement of a house in Madrid and were kept in very poor and unhygienic conditions
At least two of the dogs found by police were dead, frozen and wrapped in newspaper (pictured). Many others were locked away in cages
‘Some dogs had a very attenuated bark, a police spokesman said. ‘After performing the appropriate tests, it was found that they had undergone a cordectomy -section of the vocal cords.’
The procedure is the surgical removal of a cord and when performed on dogs is commonly known as debarking or bark softening.
‘The procedure was carried out possibly so that they did not bark and not alert neighbours to the existence of an illegal hatchery,’ the police spokesman added.
Five people have been arrested following the bust. They are thought to make up one of the leading distributors of dogs at a European level.
Their success is thought to be thanks to a perfect commercial strategy through social networks designed by a computer expert.
Among those arrested are two veterinarians who allegedly were responsible for giving the appearance of legality for sale by providing sealed cards, medications or instruments to implant the mandatory identification chip.
The dogs are now in the custody of several animal protectors, pending the judicial decision on their final destination
Five people have been arrested following the bust. They are thought to make up one of the leading distributors of dogs at a European level (pictured, one of the dogs)
Police said the animals were distributed throughout the Spanish geography (pictured, some of the dogs found in cages)
The illegal breeding unit was located in the Madrid towns of Meco and Arganda del Rey.
The dogs are in the custody of several animal protectors, pending the judicial decision on their final destination.
Police said the animals were distributed throughout the Spanish geography.
Investigations began at the beginning of last year following a complaint that identified an illegal chihuahuas hatchery in a chalet located in the Madrid town of Meco.
The gang had registered more than 1,400 dogs in the Royal Canine Society of Spain, with the aim of providing them with an appearance of legality and being able to sell them at a higher price.
Following a raid, police seized 258 dogs, mainly of the Chihuahua and Pomeranian breeds).
Police believe the gang made a profit of more than two million euros.