Arche de Noël: the animals finally rescued from hell!
Ten days after our investigation into Arche de Noël was published, authorities have finally done their work after forty years of inaction.
Since our investigation within Arche de Noël was released and a report on it was broadcast on TF1, witnesses were coming forward at a frantic pace, confirming what we already knew. Azzopardi’s terrible reputation precedes him, whether it be an individual, animal welfare professionals, or even departmental authorities. What happens in his illegal breeding farm was known about or anticipated by everyone for years. However, the man was able to stay here for more than forty years and continue his business off the back of abused animals. It is over. The animals were rescued on 30 November.
Update from 1/12/23:
In total, 86 dogs (adults and puppies), 9 tortoises, 8 red-eared terrapins, 2 snakes, as well as many birds were saved from this horror and placed into rescue centres to be cared for there before finding a family that will take care of them. Unfortunately, one snake was already dead.
At the end of the search, which confirmed that which our complaint raised, Azzopardi was taken into custody for abuse and abandonment of pet animals, illegal dumping of waste, and undeclared work, since he was selling dogs illegally in his undisclosed breeding farm.
We are impatiently waiting for the trial, during which we are hoping to get justice for all those who have suffered at his hands, and above all a penalty to ban him from keeping and working with even one animal.
Four decades of trafficking. Dozens of complaints and classified reports. A rescue that was aborted five years ago. Eventually, our investigation and its broadcast on TF1 proved us right about the lack of action by public powers in Béziers. After slacking on this file for years, pushed by media pressure and our petition that gathered more than 17,000 signatures, they had no other choice than to acknowledge their own failings and to finally take responsibility.
The animals are saved
After several days of uncertainty, the animals’ rescue was finally ordered. Azzopardi, who yesterday was still parading around proudly on Facebook, announcing that he had filed a complaint for defamation and ranting about continuing his business without batting an eyelid, was caught off guard this morning with the arrival of law enforcement agencies and associations.
Click the image to enlarge.
So much so that he took refuge in his house with a weapon. It is absolutely horrific at the site. Although we are relieved that all of the animals have finally been freed, for now, it is not certain that all of them will survive given their state of heath after years in this place of death. The first in situ findings are obviously appalling.
Our on-site partner, SOS Reptiles, recovered some snakes in a disastrous state. A royal python that was already deceased, a boa constrictor in a vivarium full of cockroaches, and also an American grass snake suffering from a huge swelling and whose future is unfortunately not guaranteed.
We are waiting to find out the exact and official number of animals that have been saved, but we are hoping that at least one hundred individuals will have been taken out of that hell: dogs, cats, birds, snakes, tortoises, rabbits…
Lie after lie, Azzopardi tried to save face by announcing that he was putting an end to his activities on his own initiative… helped a little by the authorities, themselves pressured by our action.
A serious failure of the legal system in Béziers
Our complaint, filed in February 2023, was sent by recorded mail to the prosecutor and also handed over to the police by our lawyer. Radio silence for three months. The agent who dealt with us, who was qualified and very motivated at the start, did not follow-up on any of our calls, until one day he ‘disappeared’: his telephone had been assigned to another police officer.
An additional complaint was filed in June with novel elements. But in July, we learnt that the USB sticks containing all of the video evidence and the attachments that had been provided for the first complaint had been “lost”. We then sent them copies. Then history repeated itself: total silence – our calls and messages were ignored.
And other organisations experienced the same thing before we did. Dozens of complaints and report forms were carried out over forty years by multiple local or national associations. From institutions’ side, nothing or very little has changed during this time and Azzopardi has been able to crack on for four decades, making dogs reproduce for money, killing off those who cause any problems for him, all while leaving the youngest in the throes of death and collecting animals for his personal pleasure. Activities that have nothing to do with those of actual rescue centres. How many innocent animals have died at the hands of this executioner?
Now that they have been saved, we will stop at nothing to finally get the person responsible ruled on and sentenced and, above all, for his breeding farm to be definitively closed without him ever again being able to keep animals.
If you have adopted/bought an animal from there, you can help us by filling in this form and by sending a witness statement to info@one-voice.fr.
Translated from the French by Joely Justice