Poland | Starachowice | Court Case: Animal Abuse
Our team tries to look after the mistreated animals. The owner refuses our help.
The hooves of the horses were severly neglected.
The owner brings the horse away.
The cattle are starving.
The starving animals are standing in deep manure.
One of many sick cats that were brought to the clinic by our team.
Today, we receive news about a court case regarding animal abuse on a farm in Starachowice. Our team, as well as the veterinary inspection, has been monitoring this farm since 2017. Back then, our team discovered a herd of 14 starving and neglected cattle, two severely mistreated horses and a dozen sick cats. Initially, we offered the family our help. Unfortunately, they were not willing to cooperate. Our team informed the competent authorities and fought months to put the animals in a safe place. Eventually, our team was able to provide the medical care for several cats. We managed to neuter and re-home the cats and the cattle were brought to a different farm.
Then the court case started. However, the final verdict was postponed for two years since the owner of the farm was deemed unfit to plead. During these two years, the owner was not allowed to abuse or neglect any further animals. However, our team was able to gather further evidence that the farm owner was not capable to properly take care of the animals and that many of them were kept in bad conditions. The animals are still standing in deep manure with limited access to daylight within the barn. Moreover, the ongoing construction works on the farm are posing a risk to the lives of animals and humans alike.
We reported all our observations to the court. However, the judge dismissed our demands to ban the owner from keeping animals twice. Only after our case started, a new law was passed in Poland that allows an animal husbandry ban. Therefore, we will have to start the case again to achieve that the owner can no longer mistreat the animals on his farm. The next court session is already starting next week.
