Petting farm owner sentenced to 50 hours unpaid work and fined £300 for animal negligence

A petting farm owner has pleaded guilty to one allegation of causing unnecessary suffering to a lamb.

Joanna Smith from Sible Hedingham, Essex, caused unnecessary suffering to a lamb by failing to treat an injury, under section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

She was sentenced at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (1 November) to carry out 50 hours of unpaid work. She was also ordered to pay £300 in court costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

RSPCA inspector Adam Jones, who investigated, said: “Ms Smith ran a petting farm from land she rented.

“We were contacted by the landowner in May over concerns for the welfare of the lamb which had a leg injury.

“The caller had told Ms Smith the lamb was injured and needed veterinary treatment but she didn’t do anything. Even when he caught the lamb and confined it for her, she still didn’t arrange for a vet to visit so we were alerted.

“Luckily, we were able to treat the injury and the lamb was rehomed successfully.”

Ms Smith has now been evicted from the land at Greenstead Green in Halstead.

Inspector Jones added: “There is no excuse for leaving any animal with such a serious injury without any veterinary attention or treatment.

“As the lamb’s owner, it was Ms Smith’s responsibility to ensure that this sheep - and all her other animals - had the appropriate veterinary care and, in this instance, she failed to do so.

“However, she did admit in court that it was a mistake and a one-off incident, and the court felt that it was not necessary to remove all the animals from her care or to interfere with her livelihood running a petting farm.

“This little lamb was signed over into our care and, after recovering from his broken leg, was rehomed.”