A massive fine exceeding 1.7 million euros was imposed by Greek Police over the recent period on a 63-year-old man living on a small Cyclades Island on multiple counts of animal cruelty and violations, with flabbergasted officers discovering 58 locked up and starving cats in a property owned by the latter.
The incident occurred in the small isle of Donousa, in the central Aegean, with authorities raiding the property after a complaint.
The man now faces felony charges for violating Greece’s animal welfare laws.Police discovered the animals during a raid on the man’s property, which included disused rental rooms and a closed restaurant. Officers reported that the cats were severely underfed and living in inhumane conditions. The fine, one of the largest ever imposed for animal cruelty in Greece, is expected to rise further as authorities add violations related to missing microchips, vaccination records, and other health documentation.
In 2019, he was arrested and convicted in the Athens suburb of Moschato for collecting and torturing cats and dogs in his apartment. At that time, police found several dead animals, while the surviving ones were severely neglected. Following that incident, the man reportedly spent several months in a psychiatric clinic.
