A farmer, Lee Hayes, was sentenced to 12 months in prison and given a lifetime ban on keeping animals after authorities discovered severe neglect of hundreds of animals on his Nottinghamshire farm. In 2023, police and animal charities, including the RSPCA, seized 455 animals across 19 species, many suffering from poor health due to inadequate shelter, nutrition, and veterinary care. Among the neglected were horses and donkeys with untreated conditions, dogs needing surgery, and animals living in filthy, squalid conditions. Hayes admitted to 25 offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, with evidence showing he had ignored previous advice to improve animal welfare.

The rescue operation, dubbed Operation Teal, was one of the largest the RSPCA had undertaken, involving over 100 staff from multiple charities. The RSPCA highlighted the appalling conditions, including barns filled with faeces and moldy forage, and animals suffering from easily treatable ailments left untreated. Hayes’s girlfriend, Tammy Heath, also pleaded guilty to animal welfare offences and received a suspended prison sentence with a ban on keeping dogs. The RSPCA plans to seek substantial costs to cover the extensive rescue and care efforts.