Around a hundred demonstrators gathered this Saturday in Toulouse in front of the premises of the Animal Protection Association (SPA).
Among them, volunteers and employees came to denounce the acts of great violence which several say they witnessed within the shelter.
According to information from France 3 Occitanie, numerous testimonies have mentioned serious acts of cruelty on the animals placed there, such as beatings or hangings by strangling leashes.
But also unsanitary living conditions, necessary care not given, even
“practices of scientific experiments on animals contrary to regulations”
.
The acts of cruelty were allegedly committed by an employee with a reputation for violence, who acted with full knowledge of his superiors.
Following reports from several volunteers and employees, the environment and animal abuse department of the Toulouse Court of Appeal was contacted.
A judicial investigation was opened, targeting, in addition to this employee, the president and vice-president of the association who allegedly covered him up.
Artisanal euthanasia
In the association, employees claim that they were forced to carry out “artisanal” euthanasia
, “to make room in the pound”
.
Euthanizing an animal requires, by law, the presence of an approved veterinarian.
Sometimes, these operations were carried out on the ground.
“Around thirty reports”
to this effect were filed with the Toulouse public prosecutor's office, according to Céline Gardel, the president of 4Pattounes, an animal rescue association.
A witness reported a particularly shocking anecdote to our colleagues from
France 3
.
When a person came to adopt a dog,
“the employee went to get the dog, a small Staff, from his box”.
He then allegedly
“wrapped the leash around his neck”.
As the dog chewed on the leash, the employee lost patience and lifted him by the rope.
“The dog was strangling itself.
Then he pushed him violently to the ground.
If we had not intervened to tell him to stop, the animal would have died,”
this witness reported.
The adopter filed a complaint against this employee.
This situation dates back
“around ten years”
according to the demonstrators present on Saturday in front of the premises.
In parallel with acts of violence against animals, the Toulouse SPA is accused of conflicts of interest, opaque management in its governance, and non-compliance with labor law.
The CGT representative of the SPA refuge in Toulouse evokes a harmful work climate, insults and threats from the president and his vice-president.
A health investigation is also underway in the premises of the Toulouse shelter, carried out by the departmental directorate for population protection.
For its part, management denies these accusations.
“If an employee has been violent, we have not yet been informed.
Concerning euthanasia, they are only carried out by four specialists who responded to a call for tenders
,” reacted Anne-Marie Aubert, volunteer vice-president of the SPA Toulouse, one of the defendants.
“At the moment, everything that is being said is false
,” she said.