A LAMPETER man has been found guilty of two counts of illegal dog breeding and 21 counts of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs, which left an animal in his care “close to death”.

Richard Samuel Morgan Jones of Moelfre, Llanwnnen, stood trial at Aberystwyth Justice Centre on Wednesday in a prosecution brought by Ceredigion County Council following two raids by council and police officers at his Moelfre address and at a premises at Y Shed, Gelligwenyn, Creuddyn Bridge, near Lampeter in June last year.

The court heard that Jones, who had pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied any wrongdoing, did not have a licence for breeding at either address and, following a visit from officers, some of the dogs in his care were found “in complete darkness” with “advanced chronic skin conditions” with one young puppy so thin that it was “close to death”.

Veterinary surgeon for Ceredigion council, Dr John O’Connor, documented the suffering of the animals in each of the 21 charges.

Among them was a male Scottish Terrier which he said had a “very advanced chronic skin condition and the thinness would have resulted in the dog suffering unnecessarily for a considerable length of time”.

“The dog’s ears were also badly affected with crusting indicating severe damage from long standing inflammation and scratching,” he said.

See this week’s South Ceredigion or Cardigan & Newcastle Emlyn edition for the full story, in shops and online now