Brit Charged With Animal Cruelty As Illegal Puppy Farm Raided

A 69-year-old British man has been charged with animal abuse after Spanish cops discovered 544 dogs being kept in tiny cages and a metal drum of burnt puppies at an illegal breeding farm.

The Spanish Civil Guard rescued the dogs from the breeding farm in the town of Maella, in the northern Spanish province of Zaragoza in the Aragon region.

In the video, investigators can be seen showing the matted fur on the face of a Yorkshire Terrier before dozens of dogs can be seen crammed into tiny cages stacked on top of each other.

Some of the cages contain puppies and their mothers, with matted fur dropping into the cages below.

The investigation started in March when officers from the Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA) of the Spanish Civil Guard began looking into the former rabbit farm.

The facilities were being rented by the British man and when they visited the site they found the 544 dogs which included breeds such as the Bichon Frise, Maltese, Poodle, Yorkshire Terrier, Pomeranian, Chihuahua, Shih Tzu and Gos Rater Valencia.

The officers found the dogs in the cages, which were created for rabbits, whilst others were in areas of the farm where faeces and dirt covered the ground. The dogs were reportedly suffering from a lack of water and food, with the Spanish Civil Guard saying they were affected by a lack of veterinary attention.

A foul smell reportedly hung over the farm and the investigators reportedly found a metal drum full of ashes where animal bones and the body of a recently-burnt puppy were found.

The British man, whose name has not been revealed, and a 50-year-old Romanian woman have been charged with alleged animal abuse.

Of the 544 dogs, 294 were adults and 250 were puppies, with 161 of the adults not having been microchipped.

The farm reportedly did not have the correct documentation to work in breeding and the authorities are yet to decide on the future of the rescued dogs.

It is unclear if the suspects have been detained as the investigation continues.