article_detail

It started with a sick dog at a vet in Cáceres. An Italian Mastiff was brought in for a medical condition, and during the examination staff noticed something else: the animal had recently had its ears and tail amputated. The owner produced a certificate claiming the procedures had been carried out in Russia, where cosmetic amputations of this kind are permitted. When investigators checked with Russian authorities, the document turned out to be a fake.

 

That discovery unravelled a wider network based around a breeding facility in Alicante, and the Guardia Civil's Operation Goscan has now brought 20 people before the courts: 14 arrested and six under criminal investigation for crimes against animals, document forgery and labour intrusion. The operation also had international connections, with dogs exported and sold in Mexico.

 

The breeding facility was run by a woman who, along with her partner and a third associate, led the organisation. The network's modus operandi was straightforward and cynical. Dogs were sold with their ears and tails illegally amputated, or buyers were offered the option to have the procedures carried out to their specifications. Either way, they were handed forged paperwork designed to make it look as though the surgeries had been performed legally abroad. To complete the package, the organisation also sent buyers explanatory videos showing how to clean and care for the wounds afterwards.

 

Investigators confirmed that both sellers and buyers were fully aware the procedures were illegal and the documents false. Six people are being criminally investigated on that basis. Nine others were arrested separately after it emerged they had bought dogs with intact ears and tails and then arranged the amputations themselves.

 

A registered veterinarian was also arrested for his alleged role in the scheme. According to investigators, he supplied the breeding facility owner with blank official passports and signed, stamped documents bearing his professional registration number. She then completed the paperwork herself. Investigators also found that she had been implanting microchips in puppies despite having no veterinary qualifications or authorisation to do so.

 

The case has been referred to the courts in Novelda, Alicante.

 

 

Image: Guardia Civil