Feather the cat, the dogs Liam, Uzu or Hancock. The misfortunes of these animals, victims of abuse in captivity, have touched public opinion. What happens to them when they survive the hell of abuse? Zoom.
“We can judge the greatness of a nation by the way animals are treated there,” Gandhi said. The cruelty to which they were victims moved, sometimes revolted. Like the Plume affair, raped and killed cat with a stick in Colomiers. Near Toulouse there were misadventures of Liam, those of Uzu, Hancock, Sharko or Masta… Dogs or cats, they were taken into care after investigations carried out for mistreatment or animal cruelty.
A specific judicial center in Toulouse
“Most of the time the holders are isolated individuals. There are nevertheless a few rare cases that relate to organized crime or illegal practices linked to professionals,” notes Nicolas Jacquet, public prosecutor. His predecessor, Franck Rastoul, created the Environmental Division of the Court of Appeal in Toulouse. So what happens when these animals survive? Associations acting in partnership with the legal system are responsible for taking responsibility, “they also monitor social networks and online marketplaces to identify certain suspicious behaviors” recalls Nicolas Jacquet.
Also read:
INTERVIEW. “About 50 cases of possession of protected species are dealt with every year” according to the public prosecutor in Toulouse
Stories that end well
For 5 years in Toulouse, the association 4 Pattounes founded by police captain Céline Gardel has taken care of 2000 animals. “Liam, the dog who was injured with an ax in 2022, is better,” she says. Another symptomatic case, the case of Narcos last January, “the 7-year-old dog died in its excrement”. The staff spent two winter months on a balcony, abandoned by their master who left for Martinique. “Narcos is recovering, she was taken care of by a member of our association in Biscarosse, her life has changed now that she walks on the beach.” Another lesson in resilience, the lesson of Uzu the puppy, taken from failing owners in 2023: “The Malinois, deprived of food for two months, was skeletal, he was the size of a York”. An adopter from Toulouse gives him a taste for life again. There is no shortage of good stories, like this other Malinois who lived in a storage room in the Arènes district, finally adopted by a Swiss police officer. Céline Gardel, who took the opportunity to launch an appeal: “We currently have two Malinois to place, one young and one old” she emphasizes, while most of the Toulouse shelters are overwhelmed.
Carrying out gross abuse or committing a cruel act against a domestic animal is punishable by three years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros.
“Don’t be afraid of an animal that has experienced horror”
Hancock lived a real nightmare “his master, who was already violent with his concubine, took the steam out of him: punches, kicks and hits with a bat, today Hancock has recovered” explains Céline Gardel, who adopted him immediately . “When I found him, his gaze was empty, he no longer expressed any emotions,” she recalls, “I will always remember the magical moment when he understood that a hand could also caress.” The mastiff now weighs 32 kilos instead of 17 kg on the day of his rescue, “he lives with two cats, he loves people, although he doesn’t get along with other dogs”; moral of the story for Céline Gardel “you must not be afraid to take an animal that has experienced horror.”
