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'Mass animal grave' found at farm | |
(about 18 hours later) | |
A "mass grave" of more than 40 animals has been discovered on a County Down farm. | |
Hundreds of animals were found in squalid conditions, with many already dead and others had to be put down. | |
The USPCA and police raided the farm near Katesbridge after receiving a tip-off that animals were being kept in cruel conditions. | |
More than 300 pigs and cattle were found. The USPCA is going to court to seek an order to remove the animals. | |
The USPCA, said while the livestock was generally healthy, it was being kept in appalling conditions. | |
Some of the animals were standing in 8 ins of water at the premises at Ballyroney Road. | |
'Very difficult' | |
Stephen Philpott of the USPCA said: "The entire farm was heavily stocked, it was over-crowded, there were no welfare standards at all on the farm," he said. | |
"Unfortunately, on our first sweep through the farm our vet had destroy animals and try and relieve suffering as best we could. | |
"We then had to try and thin out some of the animals and move them to other housing. | |
"We had to get emergency food and water and try and clean some of the buildings. | |
"That was very difficult to do. And then we discovered what we believed to be a mass grave." | |
The USPCA said it believed it knows the family responsible for the farm. | |
Several have convictions for animal cruelty and are banned from keeping livestock. | |
Inspectors spoke to a member of that family. He told them that while he fed the animals, he did not own them and he did not know who did. |