An evil farmer who kept 450 animals – including creatures, donkeys and a llama – in shocking conditions has been jailed.
Lee Hayes was handed a 12-month prison sentence and a lifetime animal ban after the animals were found living in squalor.
70 horses and donkeys, 50 dogs and puppies, 170 guinea pigs, as well as rabbits, rodents, poultry, birds, reptiles, exotics and a llama were all rescued from the farm in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts.
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Hayes was reported to the RSPCA after an officer visited the property and found dogs eating their own faeces, as reported by Need To Know.
An elderly German Shepherd dog was tethered to a small kennel and struggling to walk.
Hayes admitted the dog had not seen a vet, and he “expected it to die that winter”.
The dog has to be put to sleep.
The officers also found a cocker spaniel, which needed hernia surgery and puppies caked in faeces and with urine scalds to their pads.
Five other dogs were tied to outdoor kennels, and 40 dogs were living in a darkened barn.
Donkeys and horses were suffering from rotting feet, were underweight, and others hadn’t received any treatment for parasites or proper dental care.
More than half of the 59 equines seized were of poor body condition, with one donkey being so lame that she was put to sleep to end her suffering.
Ferrets and rabbits were found living in filthy, maggot-strewn cages and enclosures.
Mice, pygmy squirrels and hamsters were kept in overcrowded cages inside the farmhouse, and a Congo grey parrot was so stressed it pulled out half its feathers.
There were also lame, emaciated cows, underweight birds and hens without water packed into small enclosures and 24 goats were seized due to overgrown feet and disease.
Dead birds were found piled up in one small hutch.
In a vivarium infested with fruit flies were three underweight tortoises, while Java sparrows, a finch and canaries were left in a heavily soiled cage.
Of the 107 birds that were being kept on the farm, only 12 had access to clean water.
66 guinea pigs who were rescued were living in filthy enclosures alongside other dead baby guinea pigs, and some were suffering from wounds inflicted by males fighting each other.
Most of the animals had never received veterinary care, and several had to be put to sleep to end their suffering.
The RSPCA said it’s one of the largest animal cases the charity has dealt with.
More than 100 staff from other charities had to step in to help seize the animals.
An RSPCA spokesperson said: “The conditions we found all these animals living in were absolutely appalling.
“The smell of manure hit as soon as you walked through the gate, and the sheer volume of animals in dire circumstances was quite overwhelming.
“There was a very lame cow tied up in one of the barns that was the most broken animal I had ever seen.
“There was also a lamb I will never forget, her leg was swinging, and the smell of infection from her was the worst thing ever – she’d been attacked by a dog some days before and just left suffering with multiple fractures.
“There were few signs any kind of animal husbandry had taken place.
“Many of the dogs, for example, were suffering from easily treatable conditions, and the lack of veterinary care demonstrated the total disregard the defendant took for the animals’ welfare.
“Keeping large numbers of animals like this at one location is never a good idea, as the resources required to give them a good life are unlikely to be found.
“The defendant also allowed the number of animals to grow, as mares were mixing with stallions and bitches were paired up with dogs.
“We are grateful for the tip-off that highlighted how badly conditions had deteriorated, which meant alongside Nottinghamshire Police, we were able to organise a rescue of over 450 animals with the assistance of our charity partners.
“We split up into teams over two days to deal with different species, and all the animals were systematically health checked and then taken to safe accommodation, where many were treated for their ailments and have since made a good recovery.
“Many of these animals have already been rehomed to enjoy better lives, both by the RSPCA and with the help of our charity partners.”
Hayes of Croftfield Farm, Dawgates Lane, Sutton-in-Ashfield, pleaded guilty to 25 offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and was sentenced at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court on 18th Sept.
The defendant’s girlfriend, Tammy Heath, from Skegby, Notts, pleaded guilty to two animal welfare offences relating to failing to meet the needs of two dogs.
She received a 13-week prison sentence, which was suspended for 12 months.
She was banned from keeping canines for five years and will have to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.
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