News
Seven year ban for woman who neglected dog
A 43-YEAR-OLD woman appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates yesterday (Mar 13), after being accused of causing unnecessary suffering to a Collie-cross.
Brenda Bateman, of Meyrick Street, Pembroke Dock, pleaded guilty to two counts of animal cruelty.
Prosecutor, John Tarrant, told the court that on October 27, 2016, RSPCA Inspector Keith Hogben attended her home address and spoke to Bateman, who said her dog was ‘in a bad way’.
He said: “She said her dog’s nails were bad and she couldn’t get near her. She signed the dog over and consent for euthenasia.”
The dog, called Jess, was taken to a vet who gave her a body conditioning score of 3 out of 5, and noted she had severe alopecia as well as hyper pigmentation. Mr Tarrant said the dog had been ‘attacking’ its skin, which had become become thick and red.
16-year-old Jess’ nails had become so overgrown that they had curled under her paw and altered her footpad, and had a ‘stilted gait’.
Reading from the veterinary statement, Mr Tarrant said: “The animal had undergone unnecessary suffering from four to six months or longer. It was painful for it to walk.”
When Bateman was interviewed, she said ‘it went bad in March’, and claimed she thought Jess’ condition had deteriorated due to old age. The court heard that Batemen had said she was anxious that Jess would be put to sleep, and had said she ‘couldn’t get near’ her paws. However, Mr Tarrant explained that the vet noted Jess was fine to have her paws touched.
Bateman claimed that she made her paw bleed the last time she cut her nails, which is why she couldn’t cut them again.
Bateman told the court: “Life was a mess. Every night when I go to bed I think of my Jess. She had a good home. I’ve failed.”
She told the bench that since Jess had been put to sleep, her anxiety has been ‘put at ease’.
Magistrates told Bateman that they had carefully considered the matters, and ordered she pay £300 prosecution costs to the RSPCA, a fine of £200 and £30 victim surcharge.
Bateman was also banned from keeping animals for seven years, however she can appeal to the court after three and a half years.
The chair of the bench told Bateman that it was ‘unacceptable’ that the dog had suffered serious distress, and pets ‘must be cared for until the end of their lives’.
EMERGENCY services were called after a car crashed into a house on Nun Street in St Davids on Thursday (Apr 24).
Dyfed-Powys Police and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene at around 4:35pm following reports of a single-vehicle collision.
On arrival, they found that a car had collided with a residential property. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The road remained open while the vehicle was recovered.
A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: “Dyfed-Powys Police attended a report of a single-vehicle road traffic collision where a car collided with a property on Nun Street, St Davids, at around 4:35pm yesterday. No injuries were reported, and the road remained open while the vehicle was recovered.”
POLICE are appealing for information to help locate a 54-year-old man who has been reported missing from the Milford Haven area.
Neil is described as being around 6ft 2in tall with a shaved head. He has tattoos on his arms and one of his fingers, and sometimes wears glasses.
He was last seen on Friday afternoon (Apr 26) wearing a black Superdry hoodie, ripped jeans, and orange and black Nike Air trainers. Neil is believed to be on foot.
Anyone with information that could help is urged to contact Dyfed-Powys Police: 
| Online portal
| 101@dyfed-powys.police.uk
| Call 101, quoting reference 262 of April 26.
Wales joins UK’s largest firefighting aid convoy
MID and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) has taken part in the UK’s largest ever convoy delivering vital firefighting equipment to Ukraine, joining 17 other Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) from across the country.
The convoy, coordinated by FIRE AID and supported by the UK Government, left the UK in early April. It travelled through France, Germany and Poland, delivering over 30 fire service vehicles and more than 15,000 items of equipment to support Ukrainian firefighters on the front line of the ongoing war.
Since the Russian invasion in 2022, UK fire services have donated 119 vehicles and over 200,000 pieces of equipment to Ukraine. Each participating service ensured local needs were met before donating surplus kit.
Watch Manager Rob Kershaw represented MAWWFRS on the convoy. He said:
“It’s been a privilege to be part of this convoy and to represent both FIRE AID and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
We received invaluable support and assistance from fire and police services across every country we passed through. Their help in coordinating, escorting, and hosting the convoy was outstanding.”
Chief Fire Officer Roger Thomas KFSM added:
“MAWWFRS is proud to support our colleagues in Ukraine by donating and delivering essential equipment.
The events in Ukraine have deeply affected the fire and rescue community, and this convoy is a demonstration of our ongoing commitment to helping those still working under extreme conditions.”
The donated equipment will support firefighters in Ukraine who continue to operate in war zones to save lives and protect property—often at great personal risk. Since the conflict began, 100 Ukrainian firefighters have been killed and 431 injured. A total of 411 fire stations and 1,700 firefighting vehicles have been destroyed.
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