He is known as “Gijón’s breeding ground of horrors”The incident, which occurred in the parish of Serín, has become one of the most serious cases of animal abuse in recent memory in Asturias and the rest of Spain. The Civil Guard's intervention has led to the rescue of... 347 dogs who, according to official reports, lived in appalling conditions of well-being, hygiene, and healthcare.
After several inspections, the investigation has led to the arrest of four people, including the two owners of the dog center, who are accused of an alleged ongoing crime against animals and an alleged crime of belonging to a criminal groupAlthough they have been released after giving their statements, the legal proceedings remain open and further investigations and future arrests are not ruled out.
How the Serín breeding farm case was uncovered
The origin of the investigation lies in a formal complaint filed on April 13 by the Federation of Protective and Defense Associations of the Community of Madrid (FAPAM). That document warned that from January 2024 they would be occurring systematically episodes of animal abuse in two breeding centers: one in Serín (Gijón) and another in Don Benito (Badajoz), both linked to the same owners.
The complaint detailed a series of alleged irregularities that went far beyond isolated oversights. According to FAPAM, these breeding facilities had become the site of a system of illegal breeding. intensive production model of dogs, mainly of mini or small breeds, with practices that would fully violate animal welfare legislation and current health regulations.
Given the seriousness of the events described, the Nature Protection Unit (UPRONA) of the Civil Guard, together with the Organic Unit of the Judicial Police, launched an specific inspection deviceThe first visit to the Serín facilities took place on April 14, within the framework of a control on animal welfare and health.
In that first inspection, each one was checked individually. housed dogs at the center: their physical and psychological condition, the living areas, the breeding and quarantine areas, and the mandatory documentation for each animal, such as the veterinary record and medication available. The company's operations were also analyzed: number of employees, employment status, working hours and conditions, which added an additional angle to the case related to the Labor and Social Security Inspection.
After that initial check, the Civil Guard carried out two additional inspections In the following weeks, further evidence was gathered, the animals' progress was monitored, and the extent of the alleged mistreatment was more precisely determined. These actions culminated in April 21 with a massive rescue operation that forced the virtual emptying of the breeding facility.
Rescue of 347 dogs in extreme conditions
In the final operation, the agents located 347 dogs, an operation that was covered in the special More than 300 dogs rescued from a breeding facility in GijónMost belonged to small breeds in high demand In the pet market: Maltese, Pomeranian, Toy Poodle, Yorkshire Terrier, Chihuahua, Miniature Schnauzer, or Dachshund, among others. Many of them were found crammed together, with clear signs of neglect. stress, fear, and prolonged abandonment.
Veterinary reports paint a very grim picture: animals with abundant accumulated dirtearwax buildup, skin infections, and severe oral health problems such as periodontitis and severe halitosis. Several dogs presented inflamed tissuesintestinal pathologies and other physical alterations that required urgent attention.
In addition to physical deterioration, many of the rescued dogs showed psychological consequences consistent with prolonged abuseThe veterinarians and volunteers who participated in the operation reported extreme fear in response to certain human gestures, difficulties in socialization, and evident signs of anxiety, typical of animals that had spent much of their lives confined in small spaces.
Some of the affected specimens suffered infectious diseases potentially transmissible to humansAmong other conditions, cases of giardiasisan infection caused by an intestinal parasite. The situation led the veterinarian at the Gijón Regional Office of the Ministry of Rural Affairs and Territorial Cohesion to decree, through administrative channels, the Removal of all animals due to risk of zoonosisthus reinforcing the line already opened from the criminal field.
Given the impossibility of housing so many dogs in a single space, the rescued animals were distributed among different resources: the Gijón Animal Protection Center (municipal hostel in Serín), the Oviedo hostel, the Siero Animal Protection Foundation and other collaborating entities, including animal shelters in Asturias and the Community of MadridThe most serious cases were referred directly to veterinary clinics for intensive stabilization.
Practices reported: cesarean sections without anesthesia and puppies frozen alive
While the animals' general condition was already alarming, much of the case's social impact has been due to the specific practices described in the FAPAM complaintAccording to that document, some female dogs were allegedly subjected to Cesarean sections without an adequate anesthetic protocolso that the animals remained conscious during the surgery.
The prosecution alleges that these operations were performed without proper sedation, causing a extreme physical pain, acute stress, and prolonged suffering in the mothers. If confirmed in court, this would be one of the most serious forms of mistreatment under Spanish law, as it would involve invasive procedures performed outside the most basic veterinary practices.
Another of the most shocking points reported by animal rights groups has to do with the treatment of puppies born with deformitiesThe complaint alleges that there were supposed instructions to throw away or put in freezers dogs born with malformations, in some cases while they were still alive.
According to the complaint, workers and people from the vicinity of the breeding facility allegedly heard cries coming from inside the freezersThese testimonies, now under analysis by the judicial authorities, are what have led many groups to refer to this case with particularly harsh expressions and to christen the facilities with the now sadly famous name. “breeding ground of horrors”.
The same documentation points to a high puppy mortality associated with deformities and inadequate reproductive conditions, with repeated births and constant pressure on the females. Animal welfare experts consulted by various media outlets have indicated that these types of dynamics would fit into a intensive exploitation model of purebred dogs, where the priority is the continuous production of litters for sale throughout Spain.
Lack of veterinary control and misuse of medications
Another open line of research focuses on the use and administration of medications inside the breeding facility. FAPAM's complaint alleges that people without veterinary qualifications They would have carried out practices legally reserved for licensed professionals, such as vaccination, prescribing antibiotics or certain medical treatments.
This point not only reinforces the alleged existence of animal abusebut also adds possible crimes or offenses related to the regulations on veterinary medicines and medical devicesThe investigation analyzes whether drugs could have been administered without control, in inadequate doses or without the necessary clinical monitoring, with the consequent risk to the health of the animals and even to the safety of future buyers.
During the inspections, the Civil Guard also found some unusual items at the facilities. In the area dedicated to dog washing and haircutThe agents located it inside a wastebasket, along with gauze and clinical gloves, organic remains corresponding to a removed tumor of one of the animals. That dog, later subjected to veterinary examination, presented pain, infection and general deterioration, which suggests that the procedure was not performed under adequate sanitary conditions.
This type of finding reinforces the theory that, in addition to the lack of hygiene in daily life, certain practices were carried out at the breeding facility. surgical or semi-surgical procedures without the support of a regulated veterinary clinic nor a legally compliant care protocol. The investigation now seeks to determine who performed these procedures and under what specific circumstances they occurred.
At the same time, from an administrative point of view, the actions of UPRONA and the Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA) have made it possible to identify 18 violations in various areasEnvironmental quality, protection of animal rights and welfare, regulations on medicines and medical devices, waste and contaminated soil management, animal health, and consumer and user protection. All of this paints a picture in which, allegedly, irregularities of varying severity accumulated over a prolonged period.
Four arrested and investigation into criminal group
As a result of the investigations, the Civil Guard proceeded to arrest of four people directly linked to the breeding farmAmong them are the two owners, who are brothers. All of them are accused of... crime of belonging to a criminal group and an alleged ongoing crime against animals, figures that seek to reflect the continuity over time and the alleged structured organization of the activities investigated.
The arrests were made following the operation in Serín and were accompanied by a entry and registration at the canine center office, authorized by a court order. The purpose of that search was to locate documentation, internal records, histories, and any other evidence that could clarify the actual operation of the business, from an economic, health and administrative point of view.
After the initial procedures were carried out, the detainees were placed in provisional release...awaiting further developments in the proceedings. The Civil Guard has reiterated that the The investigation remains open. And further action, both criminal and administrative, is not ruled out. The case has had such an impact that the armed forces have issued several statements detailing, step by step, the actions taken.
In parallel, the Gijón City Council analyzes the best legal formula for to declare animals in a situation of abandonmentThe aim of this measure is to transfer ownership of dogs to municipalities or designated protection entities, thus facilitating its future adoption once the legal and health issues that still condition its fate are cleared up.
For the time being, most of the animals remain under judicial controlwhich prevents its widespread adoption. Only in those cases where it has been possible to provide documentary evidence legally registered prior purchaseSome owners have been able to get their pets back. Veterinarians estimate that many of the rescued dogs will require further treatment. months of treatments, physical rehabilitation and behavioral support before they can integrate into a new home with certain guarantees.
The other Don Benito breeding farm and the failed inspections
The complaint that gave rise to the case did not refer only to the Serín center. FAPAM also pointed to the existence of another breeding farm linked to the same owners in Don Benito (Badajoz)where similar events were allegedly taking place. This circumstance led the Civil Guard to request the collaboration of its units in Badajoz to conduct parallel inspections.
However, when the agents traveled to the designated facilities in the Extremaduran town, they verified that the center It no longer existed operationallyThe inspection yielded negative results, complicating the search for direct evidence of what might have happened there months earlier. Despite this, the potential link between both breeding farms It remains part of the investigation.
The interprovincial dimension of the case reinforces the hypothesis of a business network with broader reach than that of a simple local business. Authorities are trying to reconstruct the puppy distribution networksince many of the sales would have been made to customers from different parts of Spain, taking advantage of the high demand for small breed dogs throughout the country.
This broader approach has also reignited the debate about the traceability of pets and the need to improve state-level records and controls, to prevent cases of this magnitude from going unnoticed for years despite operating under a veneer of legality.
Meanwhile, in Asturias, the intervention in Serín has had a strong media and social impactAssociations, citizens and professionals in the sector agree that this case has highlighted possible shortcomings in the supervision systems and has generated considerable distrust towards the model of certain intensive breeding farms.
A miniature dog business under suspicion
Serín's breeding farm operated, in the public eye, as a business specializing in small breedsFrom the outside, for many neighbors, it was simply another company dedicated to breeding bichons, pomeranians, toy poodles or chihuahuas, destined to supply a growing market for companion dogs small in size, highly visible on social media and online ads.
However, the information that has emerged following the Civil Guard's intervention paints a much darker picture. According to the investigation, the center had been operating for some time with a almost industrial logic of productionwhere the females reproduced repeatedly to maintain a constant flow of puppies, many of which were sold at high prices throughout Spain.
Animal protection associations have been warning for years that part of the market purebred dogs It is sustained by dynamics of this type: successive layers without rest, absence of real veterinary controlLack of responsible breeding plans and concealment of genetic problems. The Serín case has become for many the most visible example of these practices.
The scandal has also affected some publicly known clients who acquired dogs from this breeder, generating heated debates on social media about the degree of responsibility of those who buy animals without thoroughly investigating their origins. The controversy has focused attention both on the lack of information for the average buyer as in the lack of institutional control.
Meanwhile, the flood of applications to keep the rescued dogs has led many animal welfare professionals to speak of a kind of “closing down sale”, in which genuine solidarity is mixed with a certain sense of opportunity. Behind this avalanche lies the fact that it is about animals with high economic value in the market, now relocated under the umbrella of animal shelters and government agencies.
The public image of the legal breeding sector has been significantly damaged. Many potential buyers acknowledge that, as a result of this case, they will demand more rigorous standards. more transparency, site visits and guarantees before opting for a purebred puppy. On the horizon, animal welfare organizations are asking for Strengthen controls, increase inspections, and toughen penalties for those who use animals as mere cogs in a production chain.
With everything that has come to light so far, the so-called breeding ground of horrors in Gijón has become a turning point: it has revealed the magnitude that can be reached by organized abuse under the guise of a legal businessIt has forced institutions to take action and has generated a collective reflection on the breeding model, the responsibility of buyers and the need for animal protection in Spain to stop depending only on an extreme case reaching the headlines.