Farmer and official veterinarian

“Dirty stable” in Ötztal now leads to two indictments

Pigs in their extremely overcooked stall.(Bild: zVg)

Wretched conditions on a farm in the Tyrolean Ötztal now have consequences: The farmer will soon have to stand trial on suspicion of cruelty to animals, while the public health officer is said to have contributed to this and committed abuse of authority.

The removal of the livestock (cattle, yaks, pigs, sheep, goats) on 13 January 2023 put an end to years of abuse. Whether it was cruelty to animals within the meaning of the law will soon have to be judged by a lay jury. The confiscation was preceded by several reports, for example by the blogger Markus Wilhelm.

A sheep with mange in the barn.(Bild: zVg)

Not mucked out, the goats left behind
"The farmer is accused of inflicting unnecessary suffering on the animals at times by not mucking out his animals' stables and not providing them with sufficient bedding, neglecting his animals and leaving his goats on the mountain pasture without a dry, insulated lying area even after the onset of winter and not moving them to a suitable stable," the Innsbruck public prosecutor's office points out in a veterinary report.

The indictment is based in particular on a veterinary report.

Staatsanwaltschaft Innsbruck

The official veterinarian repeatedly asked the animal owner to improve the conditions, but this did not happen in the long term. The farmer has now been charged with cruelty to animals. The official veterinarian is charged with abuse of authority and contributing to cruelty to animals with regard to the goats that were left behind.

Chickens and roosters in filthy surroundings.(Bild: zVg)

Civil servant helped: Rightly hoped for improvement?
The public prosecutor's office added that the farmer had been given the help of a community service worker to improve the situation. The court would have to decide whether the official veterinarian was therefore right to refrain from confiscating the animals immediately.

Several yaks also died on the estate high above Sölden. The cause of this - possible neglect - could not be determined. A trial date has not yet been set and the presumption of innocence applies.