Overview
- A ferry arriving in Palma from Barcelona was found to contain a closed van with 36 hunting dogs, 27 of them dead and nine alive but semi‑conscious.
- The Guardia Civil’s Seprona unit is leading the investigation, taking statements from the driver and the transport company and inspecting the vehicle, with necropsies pending.
- A working hypothesis reported by media is that the van’s ventilation was not activated, causing heat and lack of oxygen, though investigators say the cause remains unconfirmed.
- Owners say they discovered the van closed on arrival, allege negligence by the transporter We Travel Home following a driver handover in Barcelona, and report being devastated by the loss.
- The animals were carried in a closed vehicle in a designated hold area under rules that treat hunting dogs differently from other pets, and the Balearic hunting federation says the owners bear no responsibility.