A PEMBROKE Dock father and his Pembroke daughter have admitted causing unnecessary suffering to animals.

Richard Scarfe of Park Street and daughter Brogan Scarfe of Woodbine Terrace, appeared at Swansea Crown Court on March 4 charged under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 of causing unnecessary suffering to pigs, sheep, poultry and dogs, between January 25, 2022 and April 18, 2023.

Richard Scarfe was further charged with breaching a Court Order, made on January 26, 2022 following a conviction for animal welfare offences, banning him from owning, keeping or participating in the keeping of goats, donkeys, cattle, sheep and pigs, or being party to any arrangement under which he was entitled to control or have influence over their care, for a period of five years.

The prosecution by Pembrokeshire County Council followed a number of visits to the site, initially to monitor the welfare of animals and, as conditions deteriorated, to secure veterinary support and subsequent intervention.

Officers found that Richard Scarfe continued to play a role in the keeping of animals, contrary to the disqualification, and that the animals’ welfare needs were not being met, resulting in unnecessary suffering as matters deteriorated.

The pigs were inappropriately housed in large numbers resulting in fighting, aggression and injury. One pig had extensive damage to both ears, likely as a result of cannibalistic behaviour caused by the pigs competing for the limited food and space. On one occasion officers found dead pigs left in close proximity to enclosures with live pigs.

Sheep were repeatedly found with insufficient water and food, were thin and of poor body condition, with the ribs and spine clearly visible.

Dogs were found locked in a makeshift kennel block, too small and littered in faeces. The dogs were never seen loose from their kennels on any visit; a number of them were underweight and nervous.

Over the course of the visits, officers had expressed concern over standards and sought to offer animal welfare and husbandry advice to both Richard and Brogan Scarfe. However, this failed to result in meaningful improvement, and veterinary surgeons from the Animal and Plant Health Agency were asked to assist.

With the veterinary opinions being that the animals on the site were suffering unnecessarily as a result of serious failures in their care, veterinary officers issued a certificate under Section 18 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 for the removal of the animals to a place of safety and to prevent further suffering.

One cow, 26 Sheep, 43 Pigs, 23 poultry and five dogs were subsequently seized and removed to a place of sanctuary where they were examined by a veterinary surgeon, with many needing medical intervention.

During the hearing, Richard Scarfe pleaded guilty to two offences of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, (pigs and sheep).

Brogan Scarfe pleaded guilty to two offences of failing in her duty to take reasonable steps to ensure that the needs of the sheep and pigs were met.

Father and daughter will be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on May 12.