Two horses housed at the facility were seized, kept in the dark and in dilapidated sanitary conditions. Part of the “Ex Mattatoio” also sealed off.
The news comes directly from a press release by the Corpo Forestale dello Stato: "The Forestale officers, coordinated by the Rome Provincial Command and the Investigative Unit for Crimes Against Animals (NIRDA), acting on behalf of the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office, following searches and inspections carried out with the assistance of veterinarians from the Rome local health authority, found serious structural deficiencies, to the extent that the entire area was sealed off."
The raid took place on 27 October, just a few days before yet another accident involving one of the horses used to pull the "botticelle" carriages through the streets of the capital.
Alongside the officers were 4 veterinarians who checked the health of all the animals. This revealed that two in particular were being "kept in conditions unsuitable to their nature, as they were housed in the dark and on bedding in poor sanitary conditions."
For now, however, as the Corpo Forestale dello Stato reports, "the owners, whose permits are in order, will be able to keep their animals in the building while a more suitable and comfortable premises is identified."
Satisfaction was expressed by Lav (Lega antivivisezione): "This is an investigation that we hope will finally shed light on unacceptable aspects that have been tolerated by the various administrations that have succeeded one another over the years: from the conditions of the horses, who face daily risks on the chaotic streets of the capital, to the absence of health authorisation for the stables, to the glaring tax evasion, through to the systematic violations of even the most basic municipal regulations."