Gwaun Cae Gurwen man caused unnecessary suffering to dogs

Geraint Woolcock, 44, of Lon Beili Glas in Gwaun Cae Gurwen, pleaded not guilty to six offences under the Animal Welfare Act, but at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on May 30, was found guilty of five of them.

Woolcock caused unnecessary suffering to two dogs by failing to provide them with timely and appropriate veterinary care for an eye condition, while his failure to provide vet care for skin and eye conditions caused these two dogs, and two others, to suffer.

Woolcock was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to five dogs. (Image: RSPCA Cymru)

He also caused unnecessary suffering to another dog after not providing timely and appropriate vet care for difficulty in giving birth.

He also did not ensure that 15 dogs were provided with a suitable environment including space, light, heat, ventilation, appropriate and hygienic bedding, and he didn’t provide a rabbit with a suitable environment. 

Woolcock was sentenced to community order for 12 months, including 100 hours of unpaid work, and was banned from keeping dogs for three years.

 He was ordered to pay £1,000 costs and a £114 victim surcharge. 

The dogs have now been rehomed by the RSPCA after being found in these conditions. (Image: RSPCA Cymru)

RSPCA inspector Keith Hogben attended the address after receiving a call from South Wales Police.

He said he was shown four puppies who were found in a small brick outbuilding attached to the house.

“The puppies were kept on soiled newspaper, no bedding, the shed heavily smelt of urine and faeces with little ventilation, there was a bowl of dried food,” he said.

The dogs were examined by the vet, who said the environment for the dogs was unsuitable. 

A giant rabbit was found in a hutch that was almost too small for it to turn around. (Image: RSPCA Cymru)

A giant rabbit seen by the vet was in a poor environment with a hutch that was too small and with no bedding and a small amount of water.

In the witness statement provided by the vet, he said that the hutch was so small “the rabbit struggled to turn around in the hutch.”

Four lurchers were found in “total darkness” in a shed that had water present and some clean shavings on the floor.

The vet said: “I was immediately struck by the smell of urine due in part to the number of animals in such a small area and the lack of ventilation.” 

The animals were kept in poor conditions with no bedding. (Image: RSPCA Cymru)

While the dogs were in good physical condition, the housing was “completely inadequate size and lacked light and ventilation”. 

Three dogs – two terrier type dogs and a Bedlington type dog – were in another shed, where the vet deemed that they were living in a poor environment.

Another shed had dog runs inside and had very little natural light coming in.

The lurcher-type dogs had no bedding in their run. (Image: RSPCA Cymru)

In the first run was three lurcher-type dogs. They had water, but no bedding.

In the second run, there was a dachshund-type dog with no water and the run was open to the rest of the shed – where there were hazards including metal mesh.

In the third run, there was a spaniel-type dog inside a metal puppy crate that was in labour, with a dead puppy beside her. There was no bedding for this dog and she was unsupervised. 

A spaniel-type dog was found left on her own giving birth. (Image: RSPCA Cymru)

Inspector Hogben said: “The vet said he needed to examine this spaniel straight away and she was carried outside into the daylight and placed on a blanket.”

Following an examination it was discovered that a puppy was stuck in the birthing canal and needed to be taken to a vet straight away. RSPCA rescue officer Ellie West took the dog for immediate attention. 

The court made a deprivation order in relation to the dogs that were seized, transferring them into the RSPCA’s care. However, following sentencing an appeal has been lodged.