In a grisly case of animal cruelty, dozens of dogs suffered miserable deaths at what was falsely advertised as a rescue center in Essex, England. Decomposing bodies of 41 dogs were found scattered throughout the property while the 21 surviving canines were starving, and left without access to water, inside filthy kennels filled with feces.
Oaveed Rahman, the owner of the property, depicted himself as a trainer who would rehome animals left in his care, and charged “donation fees” for the services he purportedly would provide at his “Save a Paw” rescue. Instead, he allegedly left animals to die — dehydrated and malnourished despite bags of food within sight of where the dogs languished in filthy kennels. Rahman pled guilty to 22 counts of animal cruelty and 11 counts of fraud, and has been jailed for 5 years.
The number of animals who suffered under Rahman’s care is unknown, but reportedly could be as high as 180, including some exotic species such as marmosets. Operating under the guise of a “rescue,” Rahman collected thousands of dollars from guardians — many of whom are traumatized by the thought of what happened to the animals they cherished. Many of the guardians read victim impact statements in court and shared their guilt and horror in being duped into believing they were sending their animals to a caring, nurturing environment.
The gruesome scale of animal suffering in this case highlights the devastating, cruel consequences of “fake rescues” and demonstrates the importance of regulation, transparency, and enforcement of standards of care in the animal welfare community. Meanwhile, when “fake rescues” are uncovered, it can erode public confidence in legitimate rescues and harm authentic organizations working hard to provide care and sanctuary for animals.
Lady Freethinker has been reporting fake rescue videos on social media for years, most recently in the investigative report Scrolling Through Cruelty. We will continue to work tirelessly to stop all forms of animal cruelty and work toward compassion for all species.
