AN Ammanford man has been prosecuted after his Cwmgors pet food business was found to have been selling unsafe products.

The director of Happy Hounds (Wales) Limited, which is based at Cwmgors Industrial Estate, Cwmgors, was prosecuted after it was found that the company had been supplying unsafe pet food and operating in unhygienic conditions.

Neath Port Talbot Council said its trading standards and animal health team had been monitoring the company ‘over a number of years’.

It was found that the company – which manufactures raw pet food and supplies it to dog owners and breeders across south Wales and the English border – bought waste meat and offal from a number of sources including slaughterhouses, cutting plants and meat packers to reprocess and sell as raw dog food.

The company, however, failed to ensure the products were safe in terms of bacteria and feed/food borne disease which could be transmitted to both pets and their owners.

South Wales Guardian: He was charged with putting unsafe feed on the market.He was charged with putting unsafe feed on the market. (Image: Neath Port Talbot Council)

A number of samples of the company’s products were examined and found to be carrying salmonella as well as other bacterium in excess of the permitted levels, meaning they are unsafe.

Derrick Lewis, 67, of Dan Y Deri, Ammanford, appeared at Swansea Magistrates Court on September 11 where he admitted five charges of placing unsafe feed on the market and two charges of unhygienic premises.

District Judge Layton told the court that over a period of time Mr Lewis had breached regulations, put unsafe feed on the market and neglected his processing facilities. It was also said that he had received by-products of no value and converted them to feed, and cut corners.

South Wales Guardian: He was also charged with having unhygienic processing areas.He was also charged with having unhygienic processing areas. (Image: Neath Port Talbot Council)

Cllr Cen Phillips, Neath Port Talbot Council’s cabinet member for nature, tourism and wellbeing, said: “Neath Port Talbot takes public safety very seriously. Repeated attempts at advising the company to comply with regulations to protect public health. Trading Standards & Animal Health therefore had no option but to prosecute the business.

“Businesses should be aware that Trading Standards & Animal Health would prefer to work with them, but if they fail to comply with regulations designed to protect the public then they will take firm action.”

Happy Hounds (Wales) Limited has since entered into liquidation and Mr Lewis was given 18-weeks in prison suspended for 12 months which will run concurrently on all counts. He was also ordered to pay £15,000 towards the council’s costs and to pay £128 victim surcharge.