22 animals confiscated from tiny studio flat
Police have confiscated 22 animals that were being kept in a tiny studio flat in the Brussels municipality of Jette. The animals included kittens, African grey parrots, rabbits and turtles. The turtles have been taken to a new home at the Pairi Daiza animal park at Brugelette (Hainaut).
At the end of June officers from the Brussels West Local Police Service were called to a small flat on the Odon Warlandlaan in Jette. Neighbours had complained about the smell coming from the flat. There they found almost 70 animals living in the 35m² studio flat. These included kittens, dogs, pigeons, guinea pigs, fish, turtles and protected species of bird.
"The cages were piled up on top of each other against every wall of the flat and on top of the kitchen furniture and on the balcony”, a police spokesperson told journalists.
A month later police offices checked the flat for a second time. This time they confiscated 22 animals. The animals were taken to various organisations such as “Chats libres/Vrij Katten” in the case of the kittens and the Pairi Daiza animal park in the case of the turtles.
The other animals can remain in the flat. The occupants, a couple in their 40’s were questioned by police. They risk a fine.