A woman who was found guilty for not meeting the needs of her horses by failing to provide a suitable diet and environment has been banned from keeping horses for life, Powys County Council has announced.
Christina Lord of Newchurch, Powys was sentenced by Brecon Law Courts last Thursday (28 January) after being found guilty of four offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 at an earlier hearing in December 2009. Miss Lord was also given a 12-month community order with 240 hours unpaid work and was ordered to pay £14,000 costs.
The successful prosecution has been led by the council’s Trading Standards Service.
Cllr Graham Brown, Board Member responsible for Public Protection, said: “The sentence imposed by the magistrates reflects the seriousness of this case and sends out a clear message to all animal owners and carers that they need to take their responsibilities seriously and that companion animals are looked after properly.
“All companion animals should have the five basic freedoms, which are:
- For a suitable environment (place to live)
- For a suitable diet
- To exhibit normal behaviour patterns
- To be housed with, or apart from, other animals (if applicable)
- To be protected from pain, injury, suffering and disease
“It is clear that in this case, this did not happen.”
Clive Jones, the council’s Principal Trading Standards Officer, said: “Criminal proceedings are often the last resort as we endeavour to take proportionate action in such matters. However we will not stand by and see animals suffering due to matters such as poor diet, failure to have treatment or poor environment and where necessary will take strong and effective enforcement action through the courts.
“We also want to remind horse keepers of the requirement to keep a horse passport for any equine they are responsible for. Advice can be found on the Welsh Assembly website or via our offices.”
