Dog theft link to animal campaigners

POLICE are today investigating whether animal rights activists could be behind the theft of four dogs from a Suffolk farm.

The dogs were being kept at the Washbrook home of Philip Taylor, a farmer with a six-year ban preventing him from keeping animals.

However, the dogs stolen from his farm are not owned by Mr Taylor and are believed to belong to his daughter who is thought to be living with her father temporarily.

Thieves broke into an old stable on the farm and took a four-month-old white male saluki, a two-year-old tan/black/white bitch Jack Russell, a four-month-old chocolate coloured bitch collie/labrador cross and a four-month-old male black and white collie/labrador cross.

Taylor, 75, has recently been fined £300 for ignoring his ban after admitting buying and selling horses at South East Magistrates' Court. He accepted he had six horses on his farm but said they also belonged to his daughter.

However, magistrates found he had been in sole possession of a horse when he transported it from his farm in Old London Road to be sold in Trimley St Martin.

The court heard that Elizabeth Kenyon and Carol Marshall had visited Hill House Farm and seen a “scrawny little pony up to his knees in muck and dirt”. They agreed to buy the horse and Mr Taylor transported it in a trailer.

Mr Taylor's ban followed an investigation by RSPCA officials which found he had starved a horse. The animal was found emaciated and close to death.

The dog theft took place between 10pm on Thursday, June 22, and 6.45am the following day.

A spokesman for Hadleigh police said RSPCA officials had not seized the dogs.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact Pc Bill Ormsby at Hadleigh police on 01473 613500.

WEBLINK

www.rspca.org.uk

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