# Two dead guinea pigs found in dirty home in Assen

> The animal welfare inspectorate seized the cat from a heavily soiled home in Assen, and the Public Prosecution Service will now consider the case.

Society · published 2026-10-28 15:34 · https://nlnow.nl/a/inspectors-find-two-dead-guinea-pigs-and-dehydrated-cat-in-assen/

Inspectors from the Landelijke Inspectiedienst Dierenwelzijn (LID), the national animal welfare inspectorate, found two dead guinea pigs and a dehydrated cat during a check of a very dirty home in Assen. The cat survived. It had been locked in a bedroom.

The cat was seized on the orders of the Openbaar Ministerie (OM), the Public Prosecution Service, and taken to a shelter. The LID is drawing up an official report (proces-verbaal) against the resident. The OM will then consider the case.

Penalties for animal abuse and neglect have been tightened since 2024. Under the new law, judges can impose a ban on keeping animals (houdverbod), either temporary or, in the most serious cases, for life.

## Background

- **OM (Openbaar Ministerie)**: The Public Prosecution Service, which decides whether suspects are prosecuted and brings criminal cases to court.
- **LID (Landelijke Inspectiedienst Dierenwelzijn)**: The National Animal Welfare Inspectorate is the Dutch national government inspection service that checks whether people and businesses follow the rules on animal welfare. It inspects the keeping of pets, farm animals, and other animals, and can take enforcement action when animals are neglected or kept in poor conditions. It works alongside local authorities and other inspection bodies, and it acts on reports from the public as well as on its own checks.

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