Gamekeeper admits to training fighting dogs

Agamekeeper who trained dogs to fight badgers and foxes exposed a ring of wildlife criminals when he sent “trophy” photographs to be printed.

The person who received Rhys Davies’ request to print 58 pictures of animal cruelty on May 30 2019 contacted the Scottish SPCA, which raided the gamekeeper’s home in Millden Estate near Glenesk.

Police on the raid discovered an unsecured shotgun, two rifles and more than 140 bullets.

Davies, of Llanbedrog in Gwynedd, North Wales, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court to admit keeping and training five Patterdale terriers to fight animals, as well as to failing to seek veterinary treatment for two that had sustained injuries from fighting.

Davies was a former gamekeeper at the 20,000 acre Millden Estate.

The court heard police executed a search warrant at an empty Turnbrae Cottage at 7.15am on October 8 2019.

Davies, 28, arrived to find police and Scottish SPCA officers in his home, where they found a shotgun, rifle and bullets.

Police found 11 dogs in kennels outside and in an outbuilding, some of which showed signs of wounds and injuries that Davies claimed were from legitimate ratting and foxing.

A collar found inside tested positive for badger DNA.

Five of the dogs were used as fighting animals and showed signs of either nursing injuries or healing.

One, Lola, was found to have relatively fresh injuries to her face and jaw, later found to have been punctured.

She was disfigured with extensive scarring on her chin and part of her lower lip was torn off by, vets said, fighting with badgers.

Tuck had a lower part of his face missing and fresh injuries were obvious, with scarring on the top of his head.

Police analysed Davies’ phone and found more photographs of animal injuries, as well as GPS locations of where he had been.

Officers also discovered damning conversations with a man named as “T”, who was later revealed to be Liam Taylor, who had been convicted of animal neglect at Banff Sheriff Court.

Davies admitted he kept and trained five dogs for fighting from April 24 2018 to October 8 2019.

He also pled guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to two terriers and to breaching the conditions of a firearms licence by leaving his weapons unsecured.

The court accepted pleas of not guilty to failing to seek veterinary help for two of the dogs.

His solicitor told the court his client had been working as a gamekeeper for four years before the raid and now works as a maintenance worker at a boatyard near his Welsh home.

Sheriff Derek Reekie said: “This is truly disturbing and stressful. It seems to me I’ve got to consider a custodial sentence.

“This is clearly an organised activity.”

The sheriff ordered a social work report and said Davies will be sentenced on June 30.

A Scottish SPCA undercover inspector said: “We’re pleased Mr Davies has pled guilty after a long and complex investigation and we look forward to his sentencing.”

A spokesman for Millden Estate said: “The estate does not condone or tolerate any illegal activity relating to the welfare of animals or wildlife.

“We were shocked to learn of all the allegations when they came to light.

“The employee involved was suspended by the estate with immediate effect and resigned a few days later when the police investigation was still at an early stage.

“At no stage was the estate itself the focus of the investigation.”

CRUELTY: Rhys Davies was caught when police and Scottish SPCA officers raided his cottage and found signs of fighting on dogs.