Warsaw - Police in Poland on Thursday questioned a woman accused by animal inspectors of fattening-up dogs and then slaughtering them for lard for use as a health supplement.
A police spokeswoman said that 28 well-fed dogs had been discovered at the woman's farm, along with jars of lard and animal remains.
"Experts are now checking whether the lard is from dogs," the spokeswoman Marzena Bednarek said.
Police had been tipped off by an animal welfare organisation after one of its inspectors had purchased a jar of lard at the farm near the southern city of Czestochowa.
"The dogs were over-fed to the point some were no longer able to walk," said Renata Mizera, of the For Animals association.
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"There were jars of fat in a refrigerator," she added.
Mizera said that the farmer had stressed the benefits of the lard and told her that she herself added a spoonful to her daughter's evening meal.
"It's a business which earns quite a bit of money. Half a litre of dog fat was being sold for €37 (about R430)," said Mizera.
Poland's TVN24 news channel reported that the 37-year-old woman could face up to two years behind bars for inhumane treatment of animals and distributing a substance posing a health hazard.
St Bernards and puppies were among the dogs found at the farm. All were kept in poor sanitary conditions.
The rescued dogs were being cared for by a vet while For Animals tried to find them new homes.
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