Owner disqualified from keeping animals after dog suffered ‘chronic pain and discomfort’

A Ceredigion man has been disqualified from keeping animals after failing to seek treatment for three injured dogs.

Rhys Ebenezer (04/01/99), of Llangeitho, Tregaron, appeared at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (21 May) where he was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison, suspended for two years.

He was also disqualified from keeping all animals for 10 years and was ordered to pay costs of £6,410.92 and a victim surcharge of £154.

Ebeenzer previously pleaded guilty to four offences under the Animal Welfare Act of causing unnecessary suffering and failing to meet the needs of three dogs.

He was also given a six-month curfew order, ordered to complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and has been restricted from travelling abroad for 12 months.

RSPCA officers were called to a property in Llangeitho on 29 September (2025) following reports of injured dogs being kept in kennels at the site.

When officers Holly Brown and Darryl Thomas arrived they were concerned about two of the dogs — four-year-old Charlie and two-year-old Twig, both Patterdale terriers — in the kennels.

Animal Rescue Officer (ARO) Holly Brown, in her witness statement, said: “Twig was curled up in her bed and appeared very lethargic and subdued. I observed a large blue bandage on her front right leg.

“[I was] informed that Twig had been involved in the fight with the other dog ‘Champ’ who was at the vets with Rhys Ebenezer and that they had injured each other fighting through the bars of the kennels.

“Charlie appeared bright, alert and active. He appeared in underweight body condition of 3/9. His ribs were easily visible and his waist was very ‘sucked in’.

“I observed that Charlie was covered all over his body in scars and healing wounds in different stages of healing. Some appeared much more recent and others appeared healed… I was concerned by a wound on the inside of his front left leg and the inside of his back left leg.”

A vet who assessed Charlie estimated the wounds on his legs to be of varying ages, some two-weeks-old and some one-week-old, and said they were ‘inconsistent’ with ratting.

Ebenezer had told officers the scarring was from ratting. He also said that the dog he’d taken to the vet – Champ – had been put to sleep and he’s buried him at his property.

ARO Darryl Thomas said Ebenezer took them to a ‘remote field on the top of a mountain’ and used an excavator to dig up Champ’s body.

In his witness statement, ARO Thomas added: “Using torches, the officers examined the deceased dog and I could see that this dog had what I would describe as a de-gloving injury to both sides of its lower jaw, and a chunk of its nose was missing.”

The vet who looked at Champ’s body said he had injuries to his chin, nostril and ear, and that the severe injury to his chin had happened ‘at least two weeks prior to euthanasia’, adding that the injuries would have caused him ‘chronic pain and discomfort’.

The vet added, in his statement: “It is my expert opinion that clearly all three dogs – Twig, Charlie and Champ – were caused to suffer as a consequence of the injuries that they had sustained.”

In mitigation the court heard that Ebenezer had worked with animals and was highly thought of by his employer. The court also gave him credit for his early guilty pleas.