For years, behind the gates of a kennel in Ponzano Romano, on the outskirts of Rome, hundreds of Siberian Huskies lived in dramatic conditions. A nightmare made of dirty fences, lack of water and food, injured and untreated animals. Now, after a long battle made up of complaints, complaints and protests, the decisive raid by the Forestry Carabinieri has arrived, coordinated by the Rieti Prosecutor’s Office. The operation led to the seizure of around 200 dogs, transferred out of the facility and entrusted to veterinarians, associations and reception centres. The images released during the inspection show Huskies malnourished, debilitated and in some cases incapable even of reacting to the presence of people.
The maxi intervention between foresters, local health authorities and animal rights associations
The intervention began at dawn with the involvement of numerous operators: in addition to the Foresters, veterinarians from the ASL RM4, police from the Metropolitan City, zookeepers and volunteers from various associations involved in animal protection participated. Among the organizations that have followed the case are LAV, LNDC Animal Protection and OIPA, which have long been reporting the conditions inside the farm. The work of the zookeepers and the citizens of the area was also decisive, as for months they continued to report unbearable smells, continuous barking and alleged situations of mistreatment. According to what emerged during the seizure, many animals were underweight, some had obvious injuries, while others appeared to be in a state of strong psychophysical stress. A situation which, experts explain, can cause apathy, chronic fear and relational difficulties in dogs.
The rescued Huskies and the knot of dogs remaining in the facility
The transfer operations went on for hours. Around 200 dogs were loaded onto the associations’ vehicles and transported to reception facilities, veterinary clinics and authorized shelters in various areas of Italy. For many of them a very delicate phase now begins. The seized Huskies will have to face thorough health checks, veterinary care, vaccinations and above all a long behavioral recovery process. However, some animals still remain on the farm: according to what was reported by the associations, there are around fifty of them, partly registered in the name of the owner’s family members. The legal case has been going on since 2021, when the first checks ascertained the serious conditions of detention of the Huskies. In recent months, the pressure from the associations and the new complaints presented to the Prosecutor’s Office have accelerated the intervention.
Possible legal consequences
The operation was coordinated by the Rieti Public Prosecutor’s Office, which ordered the seizure after in-depth investigations conducted by the Foresters. According to those who followed the case, the acceleration of the checks in recent months was fundamental, also thanks to the new complaints presented by the associations. The owner of the farm could now have to answer for hypotheses related to animal mistreatment, a crime foreseen by the Italian penal code. The associations ask not only for possible convictions, but also for the permanent closure of the facility and a ban on keeping other animals in the future. Meanwhile, the question of the last dogs still present in the kennel remains open. The authorities are verifying the individual positions and evaluating further interventions to prevent the structure from continuing to operate.
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