A farmer from Co. Tyrone yesterday (Monday, January 27) pleaded guilty to a number of animal welfare offences at Enniskillen Court.
Leslie Hall with an address at Cooneen Road, Fivemiletown, was convicted of six charges of causing unnecessary suffering to bovines and three charges of failure to ensure the needs of an animal were met to the extent required by good practice.
The 71-year-old was also faced one charge of failing to appropriately dispose of animal carcasses and one charge of failure to produce veterinary medicine records.
Hall pleaded guilty and was fined £825.
Court
The court heard that the case arose following a complaint from a member of the public to Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) direct staff.
DAERA welfare and enforcement branch staff visited the premises on numerous occasions, between October 15, 2020 and June 26, 2024, to carry out welfare inspections.
During these inspections the officials noted animals with no access to fresh feed and water, multiple pens of animals being fed contaminated silage, several pens of animals housed with no access to dry lying areas, animals in poor condition, a significant number of lame animals.
The court was told that there were also multiple animal carcases at various stages of decomposition.
During these inspections a total of 91 animals were euthanised as they were, in the opinion of the veterinary officers present, suffering unnecessarily.
In a statement issued following the case, the department said that it “gives high priority to the welfare of animals and operates a vigorous enforcement policy to ensure full compliance of regulatory requirements”.
DAERA said that any breaches are investigated thoroughly and offenders prosecuted as necessary.
“It would be good practice (as well as being a legal requirement), to remove without delay an animal carcase from a farm to prevent spread of disease and protect public health and avoid detrimental effects on the environment,” the department said.
DAERA added that “the improper use of medicines in animals presents a risk to human health”.
This is of particular relevance when it comes to observing withdrawal times of medicines administered to animals which are subsequently slaughtered for human consumption.