Uncertain future for Cornish farmer after conviction for animal offences

Teresa Cowling, 52, of Higher Lamerton Farm, Idless, was banned from keeping any farm animals but immediately set an appeal in motion.

She pleaded guilty to five offences concerning animal welfare – failing to provide a farrowing rail to protect piglets from a sow; keeping pigs and cattle in muddy, wet conditions, with no suitable lying areas; failing to provide a suitable diet for cattle and pigs; leaving a boar and pigs with access to potential injury from protruding nails and broken, rusty corrugated sheeting; and failing to ensure cattle with overgrown feet were protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.

Kevin Hill for Cornwall Council, said the offences arose after visits to the farm last July and December, and January, February and March this year, after initial complaints that defendant’s cattle were straying on to neighbouring farmland.

Cattle and pigs were found in poor condition, pigs being fed from oranges and bananas which were illegal food for them, no rail to prevent a sow from crushing her piglets, and wet and muddy conditions for pigs and cattle. There was dirty drinking water, and no dry lying areas, protruding nails and rusty, corrugated metal sheeting in a pig area, with pigs in poor condition and one shivering.

There were more than 30 Dexter cows on the farm which had little grazing and a shelter which was too small to house them all, and bedding wet with faeces.

After she was given advice, Cowling provided better bedding and clean water, but the shelter for the cattle was still too small, cows were standing in thick mud at their feeder, and still in poor condition. One pig had a leg wound likely to have come from a nail. Some of the cows had overgrown feet and were struggling to walk properly.

Mr Hill said that after Cowling was given advice on how to put things right, problems were still found on return visits. Things were put right, but then would slip by the next visit. Some could have been addressed relatively easily, but she was either not able to or was unwilling to comply.

He asked the magistrates to disqualify her from keeping farm animals.

Cowling said in court that she and her helpers had had to tackle horrendous wet weather conditions which had led to some of the offences, as straw was getting wet very quickly. She had never lost piglets with a sow as the mothers were very good, and they had been seen daily.

The Dexters were living-out animals, and had lived outside with her all their lives. After advice, their shelter was to be extended this month.

She said she was shocked to hear that the council wanted her to stop keeping her animals.

She said she had followed the advice given to her and had then been given the “all clear” by investigating welfare officers.

“I was very conscious of looking after my animals” she said. “I would not harm anything. I love them all.”

She said she would give her helpers things to do but they did not always do as she would have liked. If she had any problems with her animals she would call her vet.

She said she bred the animals for meat, but there was no profit in it whatsoever. She had reduced the numbers of both pigs and cows as advised.

As well as running her smallholding, she did work at a local college, and gardening.

The farm had belonged to her grandfather and she was born there. “I love it there and I don’t want to lose it” she said.

Cowling asked the magistrates: ”If everything has been put right, why do the council want to disqualify me?”

Answering to the Bench Stephanie Martin, an animal welfare officer, agreed the pigs and cattle were now in good condition, with good bedding and water, but the cattle shed was not.

”I fear that when the bad weather comes again this is all going to happen again” she said.

After the magistrates heard a report from a probation officer, they imposed a 12 month community order, with 150 hours of unpaid work, and banned Cowling from keeping any farm animals.

She had to pay £1,250 costs and £60 victim surcharge.