NVWA takes 84 dogs into custody in Overijssel

The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) took 84 dogs into custody on Tuesday, December 9, in Overijssel. Many dogs were locked in cages. Some dogs had health problems and did not receive proper care. The dogs have been taken to safe shelters where they receive the necessary care. The NVWA is conducting further investigations.

NVWA inspectors visited the owner to check the living conditions of the dogs. After an earlier inspection, the NVWA imposed an administrative enforcement order. This means the owner must improve the housing of the animals. If insufficient improvements are made, the NVWA will take the animals to safety. During the inspection, two individuals threatened the inspectors. The police have arrested these two persons.

Ammonia smell

Upon arrival, inspectors smelled a strong ammonia odor in the house. Several Ridgebacks were stacked in cages. The large dogs were dirty, had no access to clean drinking water, and could injure themselves on sharp parts of the cages. The animals also did not receive the care they needed.

In the barns on the property around the house, inspectors found more Ridgebacks in homemade pens. These dogs stood in their own excrement. The animals had no access to clean drinking water and no proper housing.