Imagine losing your pet on the streets – you would have hoped that a kind soul at the local shelter would provide a place to rest for the night. If you were to bring your beloved dog for a check-up, you would have automatically trusted the Veterinarian operating on Fido. As pet owners, we hoped that people handling our pets would also treat them with both love and respect.
Alas, one woman living in Torremolinos, Spain has proved to many that she could not be trusted.
Carmen Marin Aguilar, who acts as president of Paraque animal shelter, was found guilty of animal abuse and jailed for a period of 3 years and 9 months. More than 2,000 cats and dogs were found lying dead on shelter grounds – evidence showed that she had euthanized those animals with a very low drug dosage, causing extended periods of pain in the animals’ deaths. Her reason for doing so? To save on drug costs and increase personal revenue for herself.
Image Credit: Pet Rescue Report
Police found that the shelter’s security cameras were long disconnected in order to hide substantial evidence. Strangely, heavy speakers were located at most corners of the shelter – police determined that Carmen must have played loud music on purpose to override the loud whimpers and howls of the animals to avoid suspicion. Carmen was also found to have run two other illegal, uncertified operations on the side, as a Veterinarian and dog groomer.
The local Malaga court slapped Carmen with a heavy fine worth $20,800, as she has falsified professional documents and committed acts of animal abuse. Her partner-in-crime, janitor Felipe Barco Gamez, was sentenced to a jail term of 1 year as well as a fine worth $3,785. The pair were found guilty for killing a total of 2,183 animals, both dogs and cats. The killings started from January 2009 till October 2010. Both were also banned from working with animals for 3 years after their sentences.
Felipe would hold the animals down while Carmen euthanized them, even though the animals were healthy to begin with. Carmen has continued to deny her involvement in the animal killings, and quoted as saying that she “loves animals”.
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