Vacant pet store filled with dead animals

Published: 22 Sep 09 07:17 CET

A chance look by police into an abandoned pet store in western Sweden revealed a gruesome discovery.

When police entered the shop, located in an industrial area in Tjörn, north of Gothenburg on Sweden’s west coast, they found cages and aquaria filled with dead animals.

All of the animals had died of hunger and thirst.

Police were in the area looking into another matter when they were approached by a janitor who thought there was something strange about the Zoobutiken store.

Inside the shop, police found dead guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, and birds. Three small mice were still clinging to life and were given food by the police.

The pet store had been closed for a month, although it remains unknown how long it had been since someone had cared for the animals.

The owner of the store told the Göteborgs-Posten (GP) newspaper that she had been in contact with a woman who was supposed to take care of the animals after the store ceased operations.

“She obviously hasn’t bothered to do that. Right now I’m sad, disappointed, and really damn angry,” the owner told GP.

On Tuesday, police plan to look into how the case of animal cruelty should be dealt with from a legal perspective.