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A police investigation has been launched in the town of Barbate, Cádiz, after the bodies of two dogs were found submerged in the river, tied to a concrete block. The discovery was made on the afternoon of Wednesday June 18 by a 13-year-old boy who had been out walking with his family near the El Olivar industrial estate. Spotting something unusual in the shallow water, he alerted his father, and the family called the local police.

 

Officers arrived at the scene with members of the fire brigade. Witnesses claim that after briefly inspecting the situation, one firefighter remarked, “Leave it there, it’ll disintegrate. May God rest its soul,” before the teams left the area without intervening.

 

Disturbed by what they had seen, the family and others present took matters into their own hands. Pulling on a visible rope in the water, they recovered not one, but two dead dogs. Both were Belgian Malinois, one a young female around 8 months old and the other a male of about 4 years old. Both had been fastened to a heavy block of concrete. A vet later confirmed that the animals had been thrown into the water alive. Neither was microchipped, and it appeared the female had recently given birth.

 

According to reports, one of the dogs had wounds around its neck, possibly from trying to escape or a deliberate attempt to remove a microchip. A second call was made to the local police, who this time took photos of the scene. The remains of the dogs were later taken to Jerez to be cremated.

 

The incident has sparked widespread outrage among locals and animal rights groups. While videos and images from the scene have been circulating online, many have chosen not to share them due to their distressing content.

 

Under Spain’s current Animal Welfare Law, acts of animal cruelty resulting in death can carry prison sentences of up to two years.

 

 

Image: Berend de Kort/Pexels