With a replacement guarantee, if a dog dies after a short period, the store will provide another puppy. This policy reflected the practices of a Valencia business that faced severe scrutiny for treating animals as disposable products, akin to a faulty item returned to a factory. The Valencia Criminal Court recently sentenced the three owners of this business to fines of up to 1,000 euros and to prison terms of six years each for animal abuse offenses, marking one of the strongest penalties in Spain for such crimes.
The ruling established that hundreds of puppies were illegally traded. They were transported by road from Slovakia in poor condition, sometimes ill or in the incubation period, and were sold without quarantine while the true origin and age were concealed from buyers, who were led to believe the animals were vaccinated.
According to the court, animals were displayed in crowded cases or boxes that were too small to safely house the number and size of the puppies. As a result, many developed illnesses these issues had preexisted, yet the animals were not properly isolated, creating a risk of widespread contamination.
Among the animals sold, at least a dozen deaths occurred within days of delivery. In several cases, after a death, the store staff offered another puppy to the customer, a practice that caused significant anxiety and distress for the buyers and harmed their sense of well-being. The verdict orders the three convicted individuals to pay 8,154 euros in civil liability to three of the injured parties for medical care of the animals and for moral damages.
The events span from November 2014 to June 2016. In addition to the deaths noted in the proven facts, the Civil Guard found 21 animal corpses in a freezer during the initial inspection in December 2014. Inspectors observed that hygiene measures were not met, animals were kept in urine, feces, and extreme heat conditions, and proper veterinary care was not provided.
Investigators noted that some dogs had intravenous lines and drips, despite the facility not being registered as a veterinary clinic or hospital. The establishment did not even meet the basic standards to be considered a zoological facility.
The Specialized Environmental Prosecutor’s Office, along with other charges, pursued seven and a half years in prison for the three owners and a worker. One defendant was acquitted due to a lack of evidence linking them to the abuse or other crimes.
Dogs became sick and were stored in cramped cabinets, leading to severe infections.
The Valencia Criminal Court No. Nine sentenced the three partners to six years in prison for animal abuse, fraud, repeated falsification of documents, and participation in a criminal organization. The verdict also imposed a three-year and three-month ban from animal-related professions and ownership rights for the first offender.
According to the decision, the accused were not passive witnesses; they acted in coordination to run the illegal operation. They operated in a continuous, coordinated, and joint manner to conceal the puppies’ ages and facilitate their international transport, enticing buyers with the belief that the animals were Spanish and properly vaccinated. Once home, many puppies showed signs of viral illness, and several died despite veterinary efforts. Although a replacement guarantee existed, it was used in ways that intensified the emotional and financial impact on buyers.
[Source attribution: Valencia Court records and official case materials.]