More than 400 animals rescued as Spain trafficking ring dismantled

Spanish police rescued over 400 animals, mostly dogs and cats, as part of an operation that smashed an international pet trafficking ring with the arrest of 13 people. The authorities suspect the gang forged documents to misrepresent sick animals as being healthy when they were sold.

Police said they had recovered more than 400 animals and arrested 13 people as part of the operation carried out last month against the ring, which was active in Barcelona, Madrid, Andorra and Eastern Europe. Trafficking can pose risks to public health as illegally bred pets are often not vaccinated and can spread rabies, parasites and infectious diseases to humans and livestock.

The suspects face charges of animal abuse, fraud, document forgery and money laundering.