Court rejects appeal by owner who tried to recover confiscated animals

Alytus District Court did not take into account a complaint by citizen V.S., who sought to recover 7 horses and a foal confiscated by the State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVT)..

As the VMVT announced on Wednesday, the court confirmed that the Authority's decision was lawful and justified and the appeal was therefore rejected. 

In the summer of last year, the VMVT carried out an inspection of V.S.'s farm and found that the animals were being kept in conditions that endangered their health and life: the animals were not provided with the necessary veterinary care, the conditions were not appropriate to the type of animals, their physiology and behavioural needs, and in some cases they were suffering from severe pain. 

According to the VMVT, one horse was found by inspectors with a broken neck and was not treated, while other horses had overgrown hooves, which led to irregular movements and joint deformities. In addition, animals were not given enough water and some were underfed and too thin. 

According to the Animal Welfare and Protection Act, a person who has been convicted of animal cruelty and deprived of all the animals he has kept may not keep the same species of animals again for two years from the date of the judgment. 

The court's decision can still be appealed to a higher court.