news_southcwll

News - cruelty at south cornwall hunt kennels

Hunt master mistreated foxhound

On the 28th of April a former hunt master Stephen Gerald Parkin, 42, of Treglaze North Road, Whitemoor, Cornwall who caused weeks of suffering to an 11-month-old foxhound, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the foxhound. After originally denying the charge in September 2003.

The RSPCA visited the South Cornwall Hunt's kennels at Woodland Barton, Tremodrett, near Roche, in September 2003 and found one of the hounds in an "emaciated" condition.

The foxhound, Roxy, was part of the South Cornwall Hunt pack. When RSPCA officers inspected the kennels Roxy was emaciated and lethargic (see picture on left). She weighed just 12.3 kilos (very light for a fox hound - now she is fully recovered she weighs 25.75 kilos). She also had ulcers in the mouth and was bleeding from her anus. When her kennel was inspected it was found to contain "very damp" straw that smelt of urine and there was a whole in the roof that let in the rain.

Following his arrest Parkin resigned as Hunt Master and the South Cornwall Hunt has subsequently disbanded. The remainder of the pack of foxhounds have been shared between the North Cornwall and Four Burrow hunts.

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Sentencing was adjourned until the 6th of May, where Parkin was given a 12-month conditional discharge, ordered to pay £200 and has been banned from keeping dogs for five years.

Inspector Rob Skinner, the RSPCA inspector handling the case, said: "This poor hound was certainly close to death - as I watched her in the hunt kennels she was swaying from side to side and looked ready to collapse. The shelter area of the kennels had only soaking wet, urine soaked, bedding. Mr Parkin was aware of this hound's condition but had done nothing to help it. He had a total disregard for the welfare of this hound in his care."