A macabre discovery was made in the Territoire de Belfort, where authorities found twenty dead cats, including 14 frozen kittens, and over thirty other pets living in deplorable conditions. The prosecutor's office revealed the details on Thursday.
The 52-year-old owner of the animals, who lived with them, was presented to the public prosecutor's office on the same day after her custody. She was placed under judicial supervision and is awaiting her trial on October 24. She faces charges for 'possession of animal corpses without authorization,' 'placement of a domestic animal in a habitat that could cause suffering,' and 'ill-treatment of animals,' according to public prosecutor Jessica Vonderscher. If convicted, she could face three years of imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros. Her 67-year-old companion, a retiree, will also be summoned to court on the same date.
The gendarmerie intervened last Monday at her home in the town of Chaux after being notified by the Society for the Protection of Animals (SPA), which had been alerted by the family of the occupant. Upon entering the unsanitary house, the soldiers discovered 22 cats, seven dogs, and four mandarin birds in a terrible state of health. 'The lady let them live and feed in total darkness and they lived among excrement, garbage, and trash cans,' said Vonderscher. 'They apparently had enough to eat, but they were not cared for, they were sick and injured, sometimes unable to feed themselves, with serious psychological problems,' she added, deploring the 'intolerable mistreatment.' All the animals were eventually taken care of by the SPA.
In addition to the live animals, fourteen dead kittens were found in the freezer, and six adult cat corpses were discovered in the basement. The owner explained to investigators that she 'wanted them,' according to the magistrate.
This is not the first time the woman has faced such accusations. She is already the subject of another procedure for similar incidents observed between 2020 and 2021 in her previous accommodation in Giromagny, also in the Territoire de Belfort. During that period, the corpses of nine cats, a guinea pig, and a dog were discovered in her house. Additionally, three dogs, fifteen mandarins and canaries, and two curly pigeons were found surviving in the same poor conditions as those found in Chaux. This marks the fifth time the SPA has intervened with this couple.
