The Nature Protection Service (Seprona) of the Civil Guard has carried out an entry and search of the facilities of an animal shelter in a municipality of Gran Canaria. As reported by the Benemérita in a statement, the president of said center is being investigated for an alleged crime against animals.
The police operation was authorized by the Court of Instruction number 2 of Telde, based on complaints filed by former collaborators of the shelter and a lawsuit filed by the Public Prosecutor's Office.
An investigation that began in 2022
The investigations began in November 2022, when Seprona agents verified that the association had been dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption of animals for approximately twelve years, both nationally and internationally. In the first inspection, 34 dogs and 22 cats were found, while the entity's documentation reflected a total of 397 animals registered in its name. As a consequence of this initial action, administrative complaints were filed with the Agüimes City Council for the lack of documentation supporting the activity and for serious deficiencies in the facilities intended for animal housing. Furthermore, Seprona reported them for animal health violations due to the absence of registration in the Canary Islands Livestock Farm Registry, the non-existence of an entry and exit logbook, and the failure to process intra-community movement certificates.
Two inspections
Subsequently, in January 2025, Seprona agents returned to the facilities with veterinary staff from the Agüimes City Council to conduct a second inspection. On this occasion, the president of the shelter prevented access, which is why she was reported for denying entry to law enforcement officers in the exercise of their duties, without legal coverage to do so.
From then on, police investigations confirmed that in 2025 the entity had still not initiated the procedure for its registration in the Livestock Exploitation Registry and that Dutch authorities had detected animal movements originating from the shelter without the required health certificates, within the framework of the control program for the intra-Community trade of companion animals in the European Union. Likewise, it was verified that the shelter was not registered as a zoological nucleus nor did it have authorization to carry out the activity on the inspected plot.
Serious deficiencies in the facilities
As a result of these prior actions, in September 2025, and in compliance with a judicial order for entry and search issued by Court of Instruction number 2 of Telde, SEPRONA agents, with the support of the Rapid Intervention Group (GIR) of the 2nd Company of the Vecindario Main Post, veterinarians from the Agüimes City Council and the Directorate General of Livestock of the Government of the Canary Islands, as well as specialized animal collection personnel, proceeded to seize twenty-eight dogs and two cats.
The specimens presented different states of health and, during the inspection, serious deficiencies were observed in the conditions of the facilities to house the animals. During the search, a metal drum was also found containing remains compatible with the corpse of an incinerated animal, with a microchip registered in the name of the shelter itself found among the remains, a disposal method contrary to current regulations, and 22 feline health records were seized for animals that were not on the premises.
During the operation, the pharmacological products stored at the center were also reviewed, confirming the presence of human and veterinary medicines subject to international control, without veterinary prescriptions or sanitary storage authorization being accredited, for which reason the entirety of them was seized.
Low weight, peeling, and calluses
For the removal and reception of the animals, the collaboration of the City Councils of Agüimes and Telde and Gesplan personnel was enlisted, and they were transferred to the municipal pet shelter and the island shelter of Gran Canaria. Following the analysis of technical reports on the animals' health status, it was found that some presented with low weight, significant dirt, skin flaking, calluses on their elbows, dermatological problems, long nails, inadequate diet, and lack of vaccination against leptospirosis and rabies, while the hygienic-sanitary conditions of the facilities were rated as very deficient, as they did not meet the required technical and regulatory standards, did not guarantee animal welfare, and favored the proliferation of pests with risks to public health.
Finally, the Judicial Authority has been asked to authorize the adoption of the seized specimens to guarantee their animal welfare
