FIFTY-THREE pigs, facing a death sentence after being removed from Pembroke Dock ‘horror farm’ Bramble Hall, could be thrown a potential lifeline, thanks to a west Wales animal sanctuary.

The pigs were among more than 200 animals rescued from Bramble Hall Farm during a late January two-day operation, involving multiple agencies including police, Pembrokeshire County Council, and animal welfare groups.A successful civil legal call was made in early March by Pembrokeshire County Council for the formal ownership of the animals rescued.

The request for the order was made against Sean Burns and others, of Rosehill Lodge, Ferry Lane, Pembroke Dock, who have until March 29 to appeal the order.

Sadly, part of the order was to cull 53 pigs after the court heard, and watched, horrific scenes of pigs fighting over the carcasses of sheep at the site.

One of the main reasons the 53 pigs face being killed is the risk of transmittable conditions, such as TSE (Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy), a disease similar to the that prevalent in the 80s and 90s in cows (BSE), entering the food supply chain if they are allowed to live.

The fears of TSE follow the harrowing scenes where the pigs were seen eating sheep carcasses.

The council is continuing to investigate a range of related offences in respect of a number of individuals.

A petition to save the 53 pigs has attracted nearly 9,000 signatures to date.

After the porkers’ plight became public knowledge, west Wales animal sanctuary Beneath the Wood has offered to provide ‘forever homes’ for the 53, provided tests show they are not a threat to the food chain.

John Awen, patron of the Beneath the Wood, said it had got involved following a phone call on March 15 to join other groups at Haverfordwest police station, also attended by the acting chief inspector and Pembrokeshire County Council.

“We want to try and save the pigs, they have got a destruction order on them but it’s open to challenge,” said John.

Beneath the Wood has now arranged for TSE tests to be done, John said.
“Nobody really knows how it would affect the livestock, but there’s a worry about it getting in to the food chain; we’ve no results as yet.”
The sanctuary has already funded the initial legal costs of specialists Animal Advocates.
“The plight of the pigs needs to be heard; if we cannot save these 53, I’m hoping some precedent could be put in place to avoid this catastrophe happening again. They’re not just pigs in the food chain, they have lives.”
He added: “Whilst the disease is serious, the council confirmed to us that the only public health concern is if the animals enter the food chain, something we can ensure will not happen if the pigs are handed over to a sanctuary.
“It is so sad that, after all the animals have endured, they still face slaughter, either wastefully under the current destruction order or under normal slaughter for the food chain if the TSE risk is lifted by DEFRA.
“We’re hoping the public pressure will put the pigs in a ‘forever home’; we’re in 2019, things have got to change, we will not give up.”
A Pembrokeshire County Council spokesman said: “The Authority can confirm that it has been approached by animal welfare campaigners who are keen to explore the possibility of saving the pigs from being destroyed and to put forward what might be an alternative solution.
“These representations have been raised with, and are currently being considered by, experts at the Animal and Plant Health Agency and Food Standards Agency.”