Swansea Crown Court dismisses man's appeal against 10-year animal ban

Swansea Crown Court has dismissed an appeal by Matthew Mark Andrews against a 10-year ban on keeping animals. Andrews, of Neath, had previously pleaded guilty to an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 regarding the neglect of a pregnant shar-pei type dog named Pandora.

Evidence presented during the original proceedings revealed that Pandora was extremely underweight, weighing 18.4kg compared to a previous weight of 25kg. The dog was found to be close to full-term pregnancy with seven to nine puppies, though her emaciation made this difficult to detect initially. Pandora suffered from a chronic yeast infection and required emergency surgery for a twisted small intestine. Following further complications and intestinal blockages, the decision was made to put the dog to sleep, which also resulted in the death of the puppies.

In dismissing the appeal, the court described the situation as “gross and long-standing neglect” and expressed concern regarding a “high probability of neglect in the future.” In addition to the 10-year disqualification, Andrews was previously handed a 12-week suspended prison sentence and ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He was also ordered to pay £750 in costs.