The Guardia Civil arrested a local from Zújar in the north east of the province, charged with letting 200 goats and two dogs die of thirst and hunger.

A patrol from the Environmental Department (Seprona) of the Guardia Civil, accompanied by a vet, were carrying out a routine inspection of a goat farm in the area known as Cerro Jabalcón when they came across dozens of carcasses.

Amongst the 200 dead animals in varying states of decay they found only five live goats, but only just alive.

The accompanying vet confirmed on the spot that the herd had died from a lack of food and water. The animals close to death were put down and the premises cleaned of carcasses and the whole enclosure disinfected.

The 42-year-old owner had already been investigated back in 2006 for a similar case of cruelty to animals.

The Guardia Civil points out that thanks to the updated criminal law concerning cruelty to animals (Article 337) a person can be held responsible for the deaths of animals or their ill health through actions or even a failure to act; i.e., neglect.

(News: Zujar, Altiplano de Granada, Granada, Andalucia)