Environmental Police Seize 36 Illegally Bred Dogs in Prievidza District

Bratislava/Prievidza, 14 August (TASR) - An operation codenamed 'Crossbreed' was carried out by environmental police in connection with illegal dog-breeding and animal cruelty in the district of Prievidza (Trencin region) on Tuesday (12 August), TASR reported on Thursday based on information provided by Police Corps Presidium spokesman Roman Hajek. "During a raid on a family house and its adjoining land, the police found 36 live dogs and three dead puppies, all under one week old. Most of them were small cross-breeds (of Chihuahuas, Spitzes, Dachshunds, etc.) living in unsuitable conditions, with no vaccination or microchips, and often with health problems, parasites, and visible injuries," the spokesman added. He further stated that the dogs were kept in makeshift shelters with sharp edges and were given contaminated water and significantly decomposed food. Furthermore, no measures were in place to prevent the animals from escaping. Hajek said that criminal proceedings have been commenced by the police, but it isn't possible to provide further details at this stage. With the help of the regional veterinary and food administration in Prievidza, all the dogs have been micro-chipped and placed in quarantine at cooperating facilities and non-profit organisations across Slovakia. jrg/df/ko