A Teignbridge man has been found guilty of offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 after keeping his ponies and dogs in "squalid conditions".
Despite several warnings and advice from Devon and Somerset Trading Standards, the Police, the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare, 73 year old Mr Leslie Weatherill of Ide refused to take action.
Exeter Magistrates Court heard how Mr Weatherill kept his ponies on an area of scrub and woodland near Doddiscombsleigh, which, according to a national expert on horses, was inadequate for their needs and so their welfare was "severely compromised".
An officer from Devon and Somerset Trading Standards Service visited the site with local police and found the area where the ponies were expected to live strewn with rubbish, including derelict caravans, abandoned and rusting motor vehicles, sharp and dangerous barbed wire, corrugated iron, glass and general scrap.
The land did not have enough grazing to support the ponies, so they frequently roamed into neighbouring properties in search of food. The court heard how Mr Weatherill failed to provide adequate fencing to prevent his ponies escaping and causing a considerable nuisance for his neighbours.
Mr Weatherill also faced four charges under the Horse Passport Regulations 2009 for keeping nine ponies without passports, failing to apply for passports for his ponies within the legal timeframe, failing to produce horse passports when asked by the Trading Standards Officer, and also failing to return the passports of two dead ponies to the issuing authority.
Officers also found a large number of dogs being kept on the land in poor conditions, and evidence of a significant rat infestation.
Despite several advisory visits from Trading Standards and the Police, and the issue of Animal Welfare Improvement notices by Trading Standards, Mr Weatherill failed to make the required improvements to the poor conditions on his site and 28 dogs were subsequently seized by the police and taken into the care of the RSPCA.
Cllr Roger Croad, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for Devon and Somerset Trading Standards Service, said: “The conditions these ponies and dogs were kept in fall well below acceptable welfare standards.
“Mr Weatherill was given lots of advice and ample opportunity to demonstrate that he could comply with the requirements of animal welfare legislation and achieve the necessary standards of care, however he failed to do so and this left us no alternative but to bring this case to court.
“This sends a clear message to those who do not meet basic animal welfare needs, and we will continue to take all necessary action to ensure that these acceptable standards of animal care are met.”
RSPCA inspector Marije Zwager added: “We try to deal with concerns about animal welfare by giving advice wherever possible. Where it is continually not followed and conditions are not improved, as in this case, sadly the only option to protect animals is prosecution.
“The RSPCA receives about 600 complaints about horse welfare every week and lack of identification and correct passports is a major factor in not being able to bring some irresponsible owners to account. This case also sends a message to owners that they have a legal responsibility to properly identify their horses and there are consequences for failing to do so.”
Mr Weatherill is due to appear back in court on the 15 April for sentencing.
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