Dozens of dead animals found in Gelderland barn

The police found dozens of dead animals while checking a barn in the Gelderland town of Leuvenheim on Monday. The carcasses included four ponies, four goats, one calf, and dozens of birds, the police said in a statement.

A number of neglected, but alive, animals were also found in the barn on Spankerenseweg. According to the police, these animals are "in desperate need of the proper care and accommodation". The police launched an investigation and filed an official report against the owner of the barn.

Employees of the Dutch food and consumer product safety authority NVWA were also involved in the inspection at the barn. The NVWA is examining the welfare of the still living animals and investigating how the situation inside the barn came to be. The NVWA also disposed of the dead animals and sheltered the still living creatures at a different location.

The municipality of Brummen, which covers Leuvenheim, also started an administrative enforcement process against the barn owner. According to the municipality, the activities at the plot are in conflict with the zoning plan.