Alex Trelinski
AN Elche farm could be closed down after police found dead lambs dumped in a nearby ravine.
Laws prohibit the abandonment of dead or dying livestock animals, with a specialist carcass manager required to treat them.
Walkers and residents from the Altabix area of Elche spotted several bodies and bones belonging to lambs in an advanced stage of decomposition.
Elche Policia Local searched the area and the animals had electronic identification ear tags on them, which allowed their owner to be located.
A visit to the farm uncovered unsanitary conditions that broke animal welfare rules.
Those included poor resting areas and a lack of straw in addition to a lack of mandatory cleansing and no compliance with disinfection protocols, including a rat extermination plan.
Elche council says the farmer faces fines ranging between €600 and €60,000 as well as being prohibited from owning livestock for up to five years.
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