Category Archives: farms / smallholdings

Animal Abandonment, farms / smallholdings, Food Production

Bolton upon Dearne, South Yorkshire: Paul Desbro

March 23, 2024 misanthropic 2 Comments

CONVICTED (2024) | Paul Desbro, born September 1965, of 58 Hall Broome Gardens, Bolton Upon Dearne, Rotherham S63 8AJ – for cruelty to several sheep found starved and horrifically neglected on his smallholding.

RSPCA prosecution of South Yorkshire smallholder Paul Desbro for cruelty to multiple sheep.

Desbro was prosecuted by the RSPCA following an investigation into the welfare of the livestock in his care. Inspectors visited his smallholding in Mexborough Road in May 2023 following reports of a collapsed sheep.

Animal rescue officer Liz Braidley said that, when she arrived at the paddock, she found two sheep looking skinny and underweight and a third ewe collapsed against the fence.

The ewe was emaciated, with her bones clearly visible. Large sections of her fleece were missing and the skin underneath was red and sore and covered in scabs.

Her wounds were also swarmed with flies, fly eggs and maggots.

“She was trying to turn her head to groom herself and was clearly irritated by the flies around her which were relentlessly landing on her,” Ms Braidley said.

“At this point, I knew I needed further assistance so I contacted my colleagues, the police and a vet.”

Ms Braidley said she was then approached by a man claiming to be the friend of the sheep’s owner and explained that they were aware of her flystrike and had clipped some of her fleece.

However, Ms Braidley said: “…when I asked if they had contacted a vet, the man said no and stated: ‘We will have to call the knacker man tomorrow’.”

The RSPCA found the owner and the police seized three sheep. Sadly, the ewe was put to sleep by a vet to end her suffering.

RSPCA inspector, Jennie Ronksley, said: “This was a sad case involving the neglect of multiple sheep including an emaciated ewe who was so severely burdened with flystrike that her skin was absolutely crawling with maggots and clearly needed veterinary attention.”

Sentencing remarks referred to this as a “deeply concerning case” and called the photographs and video footage “disturbing”.

In mitigation, the court heard that Desbro entered an early guilty plea, that he shared the responsibility of the livestock kept on the smallholding with two other friends and was not experienced in keeping sheep so was ignorant of their welfare needs rather than malicious.

He was described as giving “well-meaning but incompetent care”. He had no previous convictions.

Sentencing | 12-month community order with 250 hours of unpaid work; £114 victim surcharge and £2,000 in costs. He was disqualified from keeping livestock for ten years and cannot appeal this for a minimum of five years. A deprivation order was also made for the two living sheep and their lambs.

Agriland
The Star

abattoirs / animal slaughter, farms / smallholdings, Food Production, livestock hauliers

Cullyhanna / Keady, County Armagh: Aeneas Carragher and Wayne Smyth

March 17, 2024 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2024) | farmer Aeneas Carragher, born c. 1964, of 85 Skerriff Road, Cullyhanna, Newry BT35 0JW, and animal transporter Wayne Smyth, born c. 1988, of Annvale Gardens, Keady, Armagh BT60 2RS – for the callous disregard for the suffering of a dying dairy cow.

Cruel farmer Aeneas Carragher from Cullyhanna, Newry, County Armagh — Cruel farmer Aeneas Carragher

On Monday, March 11, 2024, Aeneas Carragher was convicted of one charge of causing an animal to be transported that was not fit for the journey. Carragher was fined £500 plus £15 offender levy.

Wayne Smyth was convicted of one charge of transporting an animal that was not fit for the journey. Smyth was fined £500 plus £15 offender levy.

The case arose on February 13, 2023, when a DAERA Official Veterinarian (OV), at an abattoir, examined an animal that was presented by Smyth on behalf of Carragher.

The cow was very thin and shivering. A lairage worker attempted to make the cow walk, but the animal immediately fell in the pen.

The OV carried out an ante-mortem examination of the recumbent cow. The animal was emaciated with prominent transverse and dorsal spinal processes, and the OV estimated that the animal had a body condition score of “1” or less.

The animal was humanely destroyed, where she lay, to avoid any further suffering.

The OV’s professional opinion was that this cow was too thin and weak to have been transported and was caused unnecessary suffering by this action.

ArmaghI

Animal Abandonment, Equine Abuse, farms / smallholdings, Food Production, horses and ponies, Multiple Species, Small Furries, Worst of the Worst

Barthol Chapel, Aberdeenshire: Gillian Moir and Adrian Ogg

February 24, 2024 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2024) | Gillian Moir, born August 1997, and Adrian Ogg, born c. 1979, of Ramana Farm, Barthol Chapel, Inverurie AB51 8TB – kept numerous malnourished animals in poor conditions.

Animal cruelty prosecution against farmers Gillian Moir and Adrian Ogg from Barthol Chapel, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire. Images: Facebook — Gillian Moir and Adrian Ogg were given a 10-year ban after SSPCA inspectors found dead and dying animals on their farm

Farm worker Adrian Ogg and his partner Gillian Moir admitted keeping small animals in “squalid” conditions while sheep, ponies and goats were discovered in an emaciated state.

The Scottish SPCA carried out an investigation into the couple after receiving a report of concern about the wellbeing of a pony named Leo.

The pony, a 30-year-old Connemara gelding, was described as having a poor body condition and despite having a “bright demeanour” his eyes were yellow and jaundiced.

A vet determined that it would be difficult to pin the condition of the horse on one matter given the age of the animal but stated that “it is likely that the body condition had occurred over a period of time, likely three weeks if due to malnutrition, but possibly longer if an underlying condition was involved.”

They concluded that veterinary assistance should have been sought for the animal to check for the underlying cause of the poor body condition.

Two older sheep who were housed with Leo were also found to have bodies that were in poor condition, showing lethargy and struggling to stand up to be examined.

Each of the ewes’ front teeth were worn down to the gum line and both had to be euthanised.

A pygmy goat named Pepper was found dead at the farm.

A post-mortem was carried out and found that “a failure to seek veterinary treatment” and “failure to the poor body condition” of the animal resulted in his unnecessary suffering.

Investigators discovered two hutches partially covered with a blanket in a shed where most of their dogs were kept.

In the first hutch – which was described as “filthy” – they found the carcasses of three dead ferrets.

One live ferret with no access to food or water was found in the first hutch.

His condition was “weak, lethargic, extremely dehydrated” and he could not open either of his eyes, which were covered in pus and appeared to be infected.

He was taken to Donview Veterinary Centre where they tried to treat his condition, but the decision was taken to euthanise him on welfare grounds.

It was believed that the ferret would have died within the next 24 hours due to starvation and dehydration.

The vet’s opinion was that he had suffered for at least a week, though probably longer.

Within the second hutch they found the carcasses of two more ferrets.

Moir and Ogg each pleaded guilty to four charges of causing animals unnecessary suffering.

Moir’s lawyer told the court his client had become “overwhelmed” after taking in too many animals and struggled to effectively provide care for them.

He added that a lightning strike during a recent storm caused the pony to stop eating and that the sheep’s teeth were worn down due to their old age.

However, when it came to the condition of the ferrets, Mr Burnett conceded that they had been “forgotten about”.

“They had not been provided with food and water – that’s accepted,” he said.

Mr Burnett asked if a disqualification order was made, that it not include animals the couple breed and sell as part of their livelihood.

Ogg’s lawyer said her client had been working as a farm hand in Aberdeenshire for 20 years and “would not have been kept on to look after animals if he was not good at it”.

She added: “He accepts he has done wrong but a recent visit [from the SSPCA] appears to have shown some improvement.

“This is all he’s ever done and he would struggle to find other work.”

Sheriff Johnston told the pair that she believed it was necessary to make a disqualification order banning them from keeping certain animals.

“Your actions in failing to secure veterinary treatment caused these animals unnecessary suffering,” she said.

The sheriff described the condition the ferrets were found in as “frankly squalid” and had to be euthanised.

Sentencing | fined a combined total of £4,950. Banned from keeping animals for 10 years, excluding sheep, pigs, cats and dogs; disqualified from dealing in animals, except sheep and pigs.

Press & Journal
Daily Record

Animal Abandonment, farms / smallholdings, Food Production, Serial Animal Abusers

Gunnislake, East Cornwall: Daniel Hoskin

November 14, 2023 misanthropic 2 Comments

CONVICTED (2023) | Daniel Mark Hoskin, born 21 April 1988, of Rose Terrace, St Anns Chapel, Gunnislake PL18 9HT – starved animals on his farm and left them in severe pain.

Animal abusing farmer Daniel Hoskin from Gunnislake, East Cornwall

Hoskin admitted a total of eight animal cruelty offences, which all occurred during March and April 2023.

Horrified inspectors from Cornwall Council found animals owned by Hoskin in a shocking state.

These sheep were among many animals left to suffer on Daniel Hoskin's disgusting farm — These sheep were among many animals left to suffer on Daniel Hoskin’s disgusting farm

Kevin Hill, for the Council, informed the court that inspectors found sheep and cattle being kept in an unsuitable environment with access to hazardous items including wire, plastic and carcasses. There were cattle and sheep that had not received prompt or effective treatment and they did not have a suitable diet either.

Hoskin previously received a caution for cruelty offences in 2017

This cow was among many animals left to suffer on Daniel Hoskin's disgusting farm

The admitted charges found that Hoskin:

As a keeper of a cattle herd failing to apply both ear tags within 20 days of birthday.
Didn’t provide a suitable diet with sufficient feed to four cattle and five sheep.
Didn’t provide four cattle and five sheep a suitable environment by leaving them access to hazardous objects such as wire and plastic.
Failed to provide 19 cattle and 38 sheep prompt and effective treatment thus failing to protect them from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
Didn’t provide enough feed and water for 29 cattle and 38 sheep.
Failed to store or dispose of 21 bovine carcases and nine sheep carcases.
Didn’t notify the secretary of state (Defra) to the death of cattle within seven days and didn’t share the ear tag number, the date of death and the holding on which it died.
Failed to provide prompt and effective treatment for a collapsed ewe.

Sentencing magistrates told Hoskin that his actions caused “serious suffering to the animals”.

Sentencing | six-month custodial, suspended for 18 months; 180 hours of unpaid work; £154 victim surcharge and court costs of £3,478.21. Disqualified from keeping farm animals for a period of five years (expires November 2028).

CornwallLive
Cornwall Council

Animal Abandonment, farms / smallholdings, Food Production, Lifers, Worst of the Worst

Biddulph Moor, Staffordshire, Charles Gibson and Alison Bailey

October 22, 2023 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2023) | Charles W Gibson, born c. 1972, and Alison Bailey, born c. 1979, of Leonards Farm, Hot Lane, Biddulph Moor, Stoke-on-Trent ST8 7HP – for the appalling neglect of dozens of animals found dead and dying on their squalid dairy farm.

Farming couple Charles Gibson and Alison bailey let cows suffer in squalor as multiple dead animals were found dead and dying

The couple, who left livestock to suffer and die in dung and slurry, stood ashen-faced in Telford Magistrates Court as a district judge condemned their “utterly disgraceful” animal neglect.

In a visit to Leonards Farm one officer had described the “stench of rotting animals to be overwhelming” and the scenes they found were appalling.

The court saw shocking videos of rows of dead and emaciated cattle who had been denied even water to drink for long periods. The judge said the videos he had seen showed dung and slurry had been ankle-deep at best.

Farm buildings had holes in the roof and even no roof at all while concrete floors had been covered in slurry and manure because Gibson “could not be bothered” to clean them out.

“It was utterly disgraceful,” said District Judge Kevin Grego. “Animals had died and been left where they lay. Dead animals were left in unguarded open pits which other animals could just walk into.

“Charles Gibson, you ignored any proper view of animal husbandry. All the animals in your care were very badly mistreated.”

Gibson pleaded guilty to 28 charges of causing unnecessary suffering and failing to ensure the welfare of cattle, sheep, goats, a herd of 26 cattle and a flock of 31 sheep including one blind ram.

His co-accused Alison Bailey admitted neglecting a flock of chickens.

She pleaded guilty to one charge of causing unnecessary suffering to an injured young hen, another charge of failing to ensure the needs of an animal were met, and another that she failed to protect a flock of more than 50 young and laying hens from pain, suffering, injury and disease.

The court was told that the number of charges had been reduced from more than 100 to the 28 that Gibson faced and the three against Bailey.

The judge said that the floors of farm buildings had been “unscraped for months” and “living beasts were left to rot and indeed die”.

The offences had been discovered between May and December 2020 by trading standards officers who had received a complaint from a member of the public.

Jane Sarginson KC, prosecuting, had told the court that a council officer had “never seen animals more desperate for water”. An officer was “mugged” by the animals when a bucket of water was taken into one of the pens.

Thirty-five calves on the site drank 75 litres of water in one go, she told the court.

A calf, she said, had a “tennis ball-sized lump on the side of its face” and a bull had been kept “deep in muck and slurry over a foot deep”.

In a visit to the farm one officer had described the “stench of rotting animals to be overwhelming” with five dead and rotting calves covered in fly and maggot infestation.

She added that one poor creature was thought to be pregnant but in fact had a prolapse and had to be put down on the spot.

A large number of animals had to be euthanised by vets, their condition being so poor, including a piglet that had been stuck in the mud. Some 29 calves had to be “humanely dispatched,” said Jane Sarginson.

Two burial pits had been found on the site, despite it being illegal to dispose of creatures in this way.

Adrian Roberts, mitigating for Gibson and Bailey, asked the judge to be as lenient as he could as Gibson was earning £600 per week but had £20,000 in debts. Bailey, he said, had mental health concerns.

He asked the judge to allow them to keep their pets, including cats, dogs, chickens and goats, but this was denied.

They were given 48 hours to arrange for their domestic pets to be taken away from them.

Sentencing |
Gibson: 20-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months; 200 hours of unpaid work over the next 12 months; £4,000 in court costs.
Bailey: 80 hours of unpaid work; £1,000 in court costs.
They were also both disqualified from keeping all animals, including pets, and banned from being party to any control or influence, dealing and transportation of animals, indefinitely.

Stoke Sentinel
BBC News

animal fighting / baiting, Birds, cockfighting, farms / smallholdings, Food Production, Organised Animal Crime, Traveller Animal Crimes, Wildlife Crime / Bloodsports

Clayton, City of Bradford: Douglas Price

September 19, 2023 misanthropic 2 Comments

CONVICTED (2023) | cock-fighter Douglas Rufus Price, born 22 May 1984, of Valley Farm, Low Lane, Clayton, Bradford BD14 6QA – kept 22 underweight hens and cockerels in makeshift pens without food and water and suffering from fighting injuries.

Bradford farmer Douglas Price aka Dougieboy Price was convicted of animal neglect and cockfighting offences

West Yorkshire Police and the RSPCA attended the working farm in February 2022 and found the birds in makeshift pens, many without food and water. Some were suffering from feather-loss and injuries consistent with fighting.

Seized mobile phone footage later revealed that Price was keeping and training the birds to fight.

The RSPCA found a number of underweight hens and cockerels kept in pens without food and water and suffering from fighting injuries.

RSPCA inspector Demi Hodby, who investigated for the animal charity, said: “All of the birds at the site appeared to be underweight with feather loss on their chest and the majority of them were bald in this area.

“On closer observation, a number of the cockerels had injuries and all appeared to have had their combs cut.

“There was a limited amount of food and water provided in each pen and some had no provisions at all.

“Inside one of the wooden pens there was a hen which was unable to bear weight on one of her legs.

“Inside the metal pen there was a cockerel which was limping and had a swollen leg and inside a shed there was another hen which was also limping.

“Due to the number of animal welfare concerns, I contacted a vet immediately who confirmed to me that a number of these birds would have been suffering.”

The vet found that a total of 14 hens and cockerels were in a state of neglect and some had been caused unnecessary suffering.

One dead cockerel was located at the scene, and sadly three birds were subsequently put to sleep on the advice of the vet to end their suffering.

Ian Muttitt, chief inspector for the RSPCA’s special operations unit (SOU), said: “I have investigated cockfighting offences for a number of years and reviewed hours of footage relating to this crime and it was very clear to me that several sequences of the footage obtained from Price’s mobile phone depicted cockfight sparring sessions.

“It was clear to me that the person responsible for these birds has an unhealthy interest in cockfighting and was keeping and training these birds for the purpose of animal fighting.”

Seized mobile phone footage later revealed that Price, who has links to the travelling community, was keeping and training birds to fight

In mitigation, the court heard that Price is illiterate, with no formal education, and is also the sole carer for his children and grandchildren.

The surviving birds were taken into the RSPCA’s care and were subsequently rehomed.

Sentencing | nine-month custodial suspended for 18 months; 20 rehabilitation activity days; 100 hours of unpaid work; £128 victim surcharge and £400 in costs. Disqualified from keeping hens and cockerels for 12 months (expires September 2024).

YorkshireLive
Yorkshire Press

Equine Abuse, farms / smallholdings, Food Production, horses and ponies, Multiple Species

Peasedown St John, Somerset: Katrianna Rich

August 12, 2023 misanthropic 2 Comments

CONVICTED (2023) | smallholder Katrianna Jade Rich, born 4 May 1994, of 4 Lower Peasedown, Peasedown St John, Bath BA2 8AH – starved a horse over a prolonged period and left him to suffer.

Animal abuser Katrianna Jade Rich from Peasedown St John, Bath, Somerset

Rich pleaded guilty to animal welfare offences following an investigation by the RSPCA

The court heard how Rich, who ran a smallholding with a number of horses, sheep and goats, was visited by RSPCA Inspector Daniel Hatfield and a field officer from World Horse Welfare on February 9, 2023 after welfare concerns were raised.

Horse starved and neglected by Katrianna Jade Rich from Peasedown St John, Bath, Somerset

While there, they discovered a horse named Murphy, who despite being covered with three rugs, was in visibly poor condition.

Inspector Hatfield said: “I could still easily see his hip bones sticking through the rugs, appearing in really poor body condition and once the rugs were removed you could see just how poor bodily condition he was in.

“You could see his ribs, hips and spine easily and he stood there with his head stooped down looking extremely depressed and you could see the dips in the side of his head.”

Horses starved and neglected by Katrianna Jade Rich from Peasedown St John, Bath, Somerset

A vet was called to examine Murphy, who was found to be emaciated with a body condition score of just 0.5 out of 5. He also had poor feet with overgrown hooves which were impacted with debris, including embedded stones, and poor dental health, including a fractured tooth.

He was certified as suffering by the vet and was taken into possession by police and passed into the care of the RSPCA.

Further tests found he had a high worm burden but showed nothing abnormal to account for the poor body condition, aside from prolonged starvation.

Murphy gained weight once in the care of the RSPCA by simply being given a normal diet.

Sentencing | nine week curfew; £400 costs. Banned from keeping horses for 10 years.

Midsomer Norton, Radstock & District Journal
BBC News
ITV News

Additional Information

Katrianna Rich was only prosecuted in relation to Murphy, but there is evidence shared on social media that he was not the only horse neglected by her.

Conditions in which starved and neglected horses were kept by Katrianna Jade Rich from Peasedown St John, Bath, Somerset

Katrianna Rich is a self-employed beautician and manicurist who has traded under the names Rich’s Beauty Den and Katrianna Pinup Parlour.

She also provides pet services under the name The Smallholder Fairy Pet Services & Groomer and Canis Canine.

farms / smallholdings, Food Production, Lifers, Serial Animal Abusers

Leamington Spa, Warwickshire: Ewan Wells

June 28, 2023 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2023) | serial offender Ewan David Wells, born c. 1959, of Bridge Farm, Hunningham, Leamington Spa CV33 9EB – for cruelty to sheep and cattle on his farm.

Wells, who was convicted of similar offences in 2011 and 2020, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a sheep, failing to clean out the areas where his animals were housed and failing to protect his animals from pain, suffering, injury, and disease.

The prosecution was brought by Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards.

The offences, which spanned a period between 1st March 2019 and 1st March 2022, were discovered following visits to the farm by Trading Standards Animal Health Officers and APHA Veterinary Inspectors.

One offence related to causing unnecessary suffering to a ewe and the other two to failing to take such steps as were reasonable in all the circumstances to ensure that the needs of animals for which he was responsible were met to the extent required by good practice.

The court heard that there was a heavy accumulation of muck on the farm, three feet deep in some areas, which would make it difficult for animals, including young calves to walk. In some places muck had reached the same height of the rims of water troughs leading to constant contamination of the water within.

Old, rotten hay and silage had been left at the bottom of a feed ring from which animals were seen eating and in some areas silage and fodder beets were fed from the floor where they were contaminated with faeces.

A shed containing around 200 ewes and some new born lambs had insufficient numbers of water buckets or other water provisions.

Cattle buildings were in poor repair and cattle had access to areas of the farm that had barbed wire on the floor and piles of scrap metal.

Wells’ farm was inspected after he had been prosecuted in 2020 for causing unnecessary suffering to a cow. When problems were found, the tenant farmer was given an opportunity to put things right but failed to do so.

Sentencing | 16 week custodial sentence suspended for 12 months; 15-day rehabilitation requirement; contribution of £6000 towards prosecution costs and £122 victim surcharge. Disqualified indefinitely from owning, keeping or participating in the care of any animals except domestic dogs and cats (can appeal after 28 June 2028).

Warwickshire County Council

farms / smallholdings, Food Production, Serial Animal Abusers, Worst of the Worst

Llanfaglan, Gwynedd: Philip Smith

June 22, 2023 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2023) | Welsh farmer Philip Edmund Smith, Cefn Ynysoedd, Llanfaglan, Caernarfon LL54 5RA – for multiple animal welfare offences leading to 32 sheep being euthanised.

One of the photographs showing the suffering, injury and disease the endured by the animals at Phillip Smith's farm (Gwynedd Council )

Philip Smith, who was convicted of similar offences in 2013, pleaded guilty to animal welfare breaches and for failure to dispose of sheep remains.

Smith subjected animals to unnecessary suffering and failed to take the appropriate and reasonable steps to secure the needs of the flock. This included the need for animals to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.

The court heard that of the 150 sheep seen by officials on his farm, approximately 75% were found to be severely lame and unable to bear weight on at least one limb. Tragically, 32 had to be euthanised due to the severity of their lameness.

An album of photographs capturing the shocking conditions and unnecessary suffering of the animals was shown to the court.

Officials were horrified by the condition in which animals were found. It was their opinion that the sheep were experiencing unnecessary pain and suffering; and the defendant should have sought veterinary assistance much earlier.

Animal health officers from Gwynedd’s Trading Standards Service and the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) veterinary team visited the farm several times during July and August 2021 following an anonymous tip-off by a concerned member of the public reporting lame sheep on land at Cefn Ynysoedd.

During the investigation officers from Gwynedd Council’s Trading Standards Service were subjected to threatening and abusive behaviour by Smith.

During the initial inspection a collapsed ram was discovered in one farm building. He was severely lame with foot-rot, had severe chronic skin lesions and inflammation of the larynx that would have caused a degree of difficulty breathing. It was the veterinary officer’s opinion that the ram was suffering unnecessarily and needed to be euthanised to prevent any further suffering.

A post-mortem examination carried out on the ram indicated that the skin lesions were likely to have been present for several months and concluded that there was no evidence of paring of the feet to remove the overgrown horn.

Several other sheep were found to be suffering with irreversible foot lesions caused by conditions that may have been treatable had they been identified and treated sooner. Several of the sheep were also suffering from fly strike and had live maggots in their feet.

Sentencing | concurrent suspended prison terms of 26 weeks for the six section 4 Animal Welfare Act offences and 12 weeks for the two section 9 Animal Welfare offences. 20-hour rehabilitation course. Fined £400 for the six Animal By-Product Regulation offences and ordered to pay £4,475 in costs and a victim surcharge of £128. Disqualified from owning, keeping, transporting or dealing in farmed animals for five years (expires June 2028).

Daily Post
Cambrian News

Animal Abandonment, farms / smallholdings, Food Production, Multiple Species, Worst of the Worst

Llanddowror, Carmarthenshire: Eirlys and Dewi Thomas

May 14, 2023 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2023) | Eirlys Thomas and Dewi Aeron Thomas of Cildywyll Farm, Llanddowror, Carmarthen SA33 4HP – for the mistreatment of livestock.

Neither Dewi Thomas (pictured) or his mother Eirlys Thomas were banned from working with animals despite causing enormous suffering to cattle and sheep on their disgusting farm

Mother and son Eirlys and Dewi Thomas were prosecuted for the unnecessary suffering of livestock after concerned welfare officers visited their farm and found animals in an ‘appalling’ condition.

Following welfare concerns, an unannounced visit was carried out at Cildywyll Farm in February 2022 by Carmarthenshire County Council’s Animal Health Officer and a vet from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

As the officers approached the farm from the drive, they came across a very thin, brown cow that was lying down in a field by herself. The cow had just calved. The cow was still alive but her calf had sadly died. The cow had not been properly observed or monitored during the birthing process, resulting in the loss of the calf.

In a shed on the farm, officers found another cow lying in muck laying on her right-hand side with her legs tucked up. It was first thought the cow was dead until she was seen to be breathing. The cow was in poor body condition, with no evidence of food or water in front of her and no dry area to lie down. Behind the cow, and against a wall, lay her calf which had died. The cow had been lying in that state, untreated since she had calved 5 days prior. After advice from the farm’s vet, the cow had to be euthanised.

Within the calf pens, was a downer calf that could not get up. After assessing the calf, it was advised to euthanise the calf due to severe pneumonia. Several other calves also needed to be treated for pneumonia but had not received any veterinary treatment.

In the sheep shed, officers found several untreated lame sheep. Two downer ewes were assessed by a vet and it was advised that both ewes were euthanised.

The cows, calves and sheep had no access to fresh drinking water and drank immediately when the officers gave them water.

There were 19 cattle carcasses and 3 sheep carcasses laying around the farm in various stages of decay where wildlife and farm animals, including pigs, had access to the carcasses.

The Thomases both pleaded guilty to four counts of section 4 and three counts of section 9 offences of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, by causing unnecessary suffering.

They also failed to dispose of Category 1 material without undue delay and did not ensure that no animal or bird have access to the carcasses.

Finally, they failed to report death within seven days and therefore failed to comply with The Cattle Identification (Wales) Regulations 2007.

Sentencing | 20-week custodial sentence, suspended for 24 months, concurrent on each charge; 200 hours of unpaid work, 25 days of Rehabilitation Activity Requirements; costs of £2,700.00.

Swansea Bay News
West Wales Chronicle

UK Animal Cruelty Files