Wendy Davies, founder of the Isleham Horse and Pony Rescue Centre, appeared in Peterborough Magistrates Court facing 17 animal welfare charges related to farmed animals, including pigs and chickens, at Willow Tree Stables in Isleham. The allegations, arising from an investigation by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Trading Standards, include failing to protect pigs from parasites, providing inadequate food and water, neglecting an injured chicken, and housing poultry in unsanitary conditions. The charges span multiple regulations, including the Welfare of Farmed Animals (Wales) Regulations 2007 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Davies, 74, pleaded not guilty to all charges at a previous hearing, and the case was adjourned for further trial proceedings at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court. The Isleham Horse and Pony Rescue Centre, established by Davies in the early 1990s, is known for caring for neglected and abused animals, but the prosecution alleges serious welfare failings under her care.