Authorities in Gran Canaria are investigating a disturbing case of animal cruelty and illegal wildlife trapping after a horrific discovery was made on a rural property in Firgas, in the north of the island.
Agents from SEPRONA, the environmental division of the Guardia Civil, responded to a tip-off on 3rd June from a concerned neighbour about animals believed to be in a poor state.
What they found on arrival at the finca in the area of Los Rosales was described as one of the worst incidents of animal abuse seen on the island in recent years.
In the centre of the property, officers found a skeletal dog, barely alive, tied to a cement drum. The rope was so short, only around one metre long, that the animal was forced to live among its own waste. Its ears were covered in open, infected wounds with visible tissue, and no signs of treatment.
Nearby, in a makeshift cage barely 20 centimetres high, two puppies, just two months old, were confined in such a tight space they couldn’t even move. There was no food, and barely any water. When freed, the pups ran straight to a container and drank desperately, showing clear signs of severe dehydration and neglect.
Due to the animals' critical condition, a vet was called to the scene and confirmed their lives were in immediate danger. SEPRONA’s swift intervention likely saved them from certain death.
The animals were transported to the Wildlife Recovery Centre, where they are now receiving urgent veterinary care. Staff there have confirmed that the dogs were in such poor health that they will need several weeks of treatment, rehydration, and nutritional support to recover.
During the inspection, officers also found an illegal homemade bird trap known as a falsete, used to capture wild birds alive. Inside it, a wild Canary (Serinus canaria), a protected species and symbol of the Canary Islands, was being used as bait to attract other birds into the trap.
The property owner admitted to illegally capturing that bird and another of the same species, which was found in a nearby cage. Both birds have been removed from the site and taken to the recovery centre for protected wildlife.
The illegal trapping of protected species is not only cruel but also a serious environmental crime under Spanish and Canarian law, posing a direct threat to the region’s biodiversity.
SEPRONA officers have stressed that this was not a case of simple neglect, but a shocking example of total abandonment and disregard for animal welfare. They described the conditions as inhumane, with animals left to suffer in filth, starvation, and pain, conditions that could easily have led to their deaths from disease or infection.
As a result, the owner of the property is now under investigation for animal cruelty and offences against protected wildlife. The case has been submitted to the courts, which will decide on the appropriate legal action.
