Between 70 and 80 neglected dogs were discovered in the home of a couple in Lanaken (province of Limburg) by the local police and the Flemish Animal Welfare Inspectorate. Inside the house there was an acrid smell of urine and excrement. The animals lived in very bad and miserable conditions. The couple had already been sentenced for animal neglect in 2018. At the time, 40 dogs were involved.
The police were alerted to the situation of the animals thanks to reports from local residents. After consultation with the veterinarian of the Flemish Animal Welfare Inspectorate, the dogs were seized on Friday for violation of animal welfare law. All were collected in a shelter in Lanklaar (Dilsen-Stokkem). It is a case of “animal hoarding”, the couple having collected the dogs without worrying about the living conditions of the animals. The man and the woman were arrested administratively. The police are continuing their investigation.