Vandals cut fences at Belgian care farm, animals escape

Vandals cut fences and opened gates at Zorgboerderij Huppeldepup in Humbeek, Belgium, allowing horses and alpacas to escape.

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To see your life's work destroyed in one night, I have no words for it.

The day began with an unexpected discovery. A horse was found in a neighbor's garden, and upon inspection, the extent of the damage became clear. "We saw how big the mess was. All over our property, the wires were cut in multiple places. The gates to the alpaca pastures were also opened."

The financial impact is significant, with initial estimates for repairing just a portion of the fencing reaching several thousand euros. Beyond the material costs, the repairs will also require considerable time and effort from the farm's staff, who work seven days a week.

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We saw how big the mess was. All over our property, the wires were cut in multiple places. The gates to the alpaca pastures were also opened.

In total, 15 alpacas and several horses escaped. One horse suffered a nose injury, likely from a cut wire. The owner expressed her disbelief and distress, stating, "To see your life's work destroyed in one night, I have no words for it." The police are investigating, reviewing security footage that shows only a shadowy figure. Neighboring properties also experienced cut fences, leading the owner to believe the attack may not have been specifically targeted at the care farm, but the act of endangering animals remains incomprehensible.

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I don't think it was specifically aimed at our care farm. But it remains incomprehensible that someone would deliberately endanger animals.