A LARGE number of pigs will be destroyed, some animals transferred intro the custody of charities, and sheep will be sold following a hearing at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court today (Mar 7)
On January 28 and 29, Pembrokeshire County Council’s Animal Health and Welfare Team obtained and executed court warrants at Bramble Hall Farm, Ferry Lane, Pembroke Dock, with the support of other agencies and animal charities. This was covered at the time in The Pembrokeshire Herald both online and in our print edition, with live videos as protestors gathered outside the farm.
Sean and Pamela Burns of Bramble Hall Farm were the respondents in an application by Pembrokeshire County Council for a court order to confiscate the seized animals and sell them on; or destroy them if they were unfit or suffering.
At Haverfordwest court on March 7, an application was made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which Mr Owen had described as “the most draconian of legislation, its only there the purpose of it is to take property away from third parties like me.”
The application for a civil order sought for 20 horses and a donkey to be put in the care of the RSPCA, 50 dogs to the Dogs Trust, 80 sheep and three goats to the local authority to be sold.
The court was told that unfortunately the pigs would have to be destroyed “due to them all having access to animal by-products, presenting a risk to public health if they found their way in to the food supply chain.”
Represented by Aled Owen, the respondents, who had been convicted of illegal dog breeding in 2018, said that the lack of time they had to prepare for the case was “against the principle of natural justice” – but their request for a 7 day adjournment was denied.
The court was told by Rhian Young, representing the council, that dogs were sited in unsanitary and hazardous shed blocks littered with faeces and urine and that puppies alive and dead from a fresh litter were found amongst the dogs’ food.
Members of the public in the gallery were in tears as the evidence was read out.
Miss Young added that horses had little grass for grazing and were forced to eat litter and forage for food on scrap-filled land. She said that the dominant horses were the only ones able to access a solitary bale of hay.
The court was shown a video of the feeding of pigs on the blood and urine-soaked floor. Also found were chained sheep carcasses, with twenty pigs and piglets competing to feed on the carcasses
The Pembrokeshire County Council request for a civil order was granted
Mr Burns was ordered to pay costs of £76,844.29.
After the hearing, a council spokesman said: “We welcome the decision of the magistrates. The order they have made is in the exact terms of the draft order we submitted, including our application for costs.”
The council is continuing to investigate a range of related offences in respect of a number of individuals.
Richard Brown, head of Environmental Services and Public Protection, said: “Please be assured that we are continuing to monitor the welfare of animals that remain on site. Legitimate grounds for believing that the welfare of any animals is compromised will result in further action.”
Despite public animal welfare concerns, Pembrokeshire County Council is unable to prevent any individual from acquiring or keeping animals. Only a court can do that.
If someone has been convicted for an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, the court can make an order depriving/disqualifying them from owning, keeping, participating in keeping or controlling or influencing the way animals are kept, transporting or arranging the transportation of animals.
There is nothing stopping animals being brought to a site/kept on site until a disqualification is in place.
