A MID Wales farmer responsible for ‘one of the worst animal welfare cases’ investigated by Powys County Council has been fined £15,000.
Michael Rowlands, of Tynndol, Llangurig, pleaded guilty to nine charges at Welshpool Magistrates' Court on Friday.
The charges included, causing unnecessary suffering, failure to maintain buildings in a way that did not cause harm to animals and failure to dispose of animal carcasses as required.
Rowlands was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £650 costs along with a £15 victim surcharge by magistrates.
The court heard that five of Rowlands’ sheep had to be put down by a vet because they were suffering unnecessarily.
Animal Health Officers visited the premises and land owned by the farmer after concerns had been raised about the welfare of his stock, magistrates heard.
In December 2009, during a two-day visit to the sheep dealer’s premises, officers found many sheep being kept in poor welfare conditions and in particular five sheep that were unnecessarily suffering.
One was suffering with an in-growing horn going into its eye, one from foot rot lesions and skin lacerations of the back leg, one from inflammatory lesions of several limbs, one from starvation and another from chronic eye disease.
Officers from the council’s Trading Standards Service were accompanied by vets from the Animal Health Service of DEFRA and found that the condition of the accommodation sheep were housed in was causing injury to the animals.
In particular the poor flooring in sheds was causing injuries to sheep and lambs and that those injuries were going untreated.
Officers also found a large number of sheep carcasses on the premises including a quantity dumped in a manure heap on the farm (sheep must be disposed of in an approved manner under the Animal By-Products (Wales) Order.
Councillor Graham Brown, Board Member responsible for Public Protection, said: “This was one of the worst animal welfare cases that our officers have investigated and the chairman of the bench commented that this type of case brings the whole of the farming industry into disrepute.
“Magistrates have supported the work of our Trading Standards Service and have dealt with the defendant seriously in this case, which is reflected in the level of fine they imposed.”
Ken Yorston, the council’s Trading Standards Manager, said: “The farming community must ensure that all livestock are adequately cared for and that animal carcasses are disposed of in the correct manner.
“If they do not follow the legislation in place then we have a duty to investigate and take the appropriate action against those responsible for the neglect of stock.”