David William Lloyd Thomas, 56, of Cwm Bowydd Farm, Blaenau Ffestiniog, appeared at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court on the 10th of October where he admitted a number of animal welfare offences and breaching a ban on keeping dogs imposed after a badger baiting case in 2018.

His son Carwyn Lloyd Fazakerley admitted not giving 29 dogs a suitable environment at the farm on November 17, 2021.

Twenty nine dogs were found in disgusting conditions when the RSPCA and North Wales Police raided the farm following a covert investigation carried out by the League Against Cruel Sports.

Thomas pleaded guilty to six offences – not giving 29 dogs a suitable environment under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 at their address in Blaenau Ffestiniog on November 17, 2021, not giving clean drinking water to two ferrets there on that date, keeping dogs on August 27, August 29 and November 17, 2021 at the same address despite an eight-year disqualification order imposed in February, 2018, and causing unnecessary suffering to a hound by roughly handling and kicking it near his farm.

Fazakerley admitted not giving 29 dogs a suitable environment at their farm on November 17, 2021.

Sentencing was set for the 7th of November and yesterday Thomas was jailed for 24 weeks and banned from keeping dogs or ferrets for ten years. Fazakerley was ordered to do 160 hours unpaid work, pay £600 costs and was banned from keeping dogs for ten years.This is not Thomas first experience of prison. He received a twenty two week sentence in 2018 for badger baiting offences which is when the 8 year ban on keeping dogs was imposed.

Thomas is registered as Master of the Dwyryd Hunt with the Masters of Foxhounds Association. Strangely his registration did not cease during his last spell in prison. Perhaps things will change this time as it is believed that the dogs which were the subject of the charges were the hunt’s entire pack of hounds.

All the animals seized in the raid have been safely housed by the RSPCA.

Full details of this case can be found here and here and details of the 2018 case here.