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Date Published: 08/04/2025

Farmer in Spain sentenced to 15 months in prison after he left 170 geese to starve to death

The farmer, who owned an organic livestock farm in Córdoba, had appealed the sentence but was rejected

A farmer from Córdoba has had his 15-month prison sentence upheld by the Supreme Court after allowing 170 geese to die from starvation, describing the deaths as a tragic “collective agony”.

The farmer, who owned an organic livestock farm in Fuente Obejuna, had appealed the sentence handed down by the Provincial Court of Córdoba, but the appeal was rejected. The original ruling stands, which also includes a three-and-a-half-year ban on working in any profession related to animals.

From early June 2018, the farmer failed to provide the geese with the necessary food and water, despite being fully aware of their deteriorating condition. His employee had warned him about the lack of feed, but no action was taken. As a result, the geese were left to suffer from malnutrition, and many were found dead on the farm.

When officials from the Andalusian Regional Government and the Guardia Civil’s Nature Protection Service (Seprona) arrived, they discovered the geese in a devastating state. Many of the dead birds were piled together, and they had been deprived of not just food and water, but also any veterinary care. The geese were left with only a small drinking trough and a rainwater pond, neither of which was enough to keep them healthy.

The Supreme Court called the farmer’s actions “chained omissions”, which ultimately led to the tragic deaths of the animals. Judge Manuel Marchena, who authored the ruling, stressed that “the suffering of an animal, the death of a living being, requires criminal treatment that acquires meaning from its consideration as a sentient being and, therefore, protected in its very identity.”

The Court also highlighted that this wasn’t a single act of animal cruelty but a prolonged incident, emphasising the “total disregard for the life” of the geese. The ruling condemned the farmer’s failure to recognise the animals as living beings deserving of respect, and noted that the collective suffering of the geese cannot be ignored.

Image: Gokul Barman/Pexels

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