DOMINIC FOURACRE AND RACHEL LEWIS SHOCKING DOG ABUSE IN BARRY REVEALED

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Barry, two individuals, Dominic Fouracre and Rachel Lewis, have been found guilty of severe animal neglect and cruelty involving a number of English bulldogs kept in deplorable conditions. The incident came to light after authorities uncovered the appalling state of the animals at their residence, leading to a series of heartbreaking revelations about the treatment of these dogs.

Dominic Fouracre, born June 1988, residing at Ballymote, St Nicholas Road, Barry CF62 6QY, is a prolific breeder and the director of the recently established company DS Cladding Solutions Ltd. His former partner, Rachel Lewis, born circa 1979 and living at Y Rhodfa, Barry CF63, was also implicated in the case. The authorities discovered that both individuals had been involved in the illegal breeding and sale of bulldog puppies, but their practices were far from ethical or humane.

The investigation was initiated after a complaint was made through Hope Rescue, a charity dedicated to animal welfare. On June 10, 2022, officers from the Vale of Glamorgan Council, accompanied by police, entered Fouracre’s former home on Clive Road in Barry. What they found was shocking: the property was covered in dog feces and urine, with the living environment described as 'appalling' and 'disgusting.'

Inside, the scene was grim. Eight adult bulldogs were confined behind a baby-gate, which was heavily coated in hair and feces. Food was pushed underneath the gate, making it inaccessible to the dogs. The animals were observed to be eating feces from the floor, and their bedding was littered with waste. The conditions were so unsanitary that there was no water or food in their bowls, and blood was visible in shredded paper within a crate. Many of the dogs suffered from cherry eye, a condition where the eye protrudes and becomes exposed, indicating neglect and poor health.

In addition to the adult dogs, nine bulldog puppies were found in the same filthy environment. Four of these puppies were confined to a small box, and all twelve dogs were seized by authorities. A veterinarian examined the animals and identified numerous health issues, including severe underweight conditions, spinal deformities, corkscrew tails, breathing difficulties, conjunctivitis, alopecia, yeast infections, and ear infections. The vet concluded that the dogs had not been properly fed or given adequate water, and some were suffering from serious conditions such as rectal prolapse, which led to the euthanasia of one puppy. Fouracre attempted to treat the prolapse himself by bathing the puppy, but the condition was too severe.

Rachel Lewis, who had owned the mother of the puppies, claimed that Fouracre had offered to vaccinate the litter and sell the puppies at eight weeks old. However, the court heard that Fouracre, by then her ex-partner, was unhappy with the litter and ignored her messages. Lewis admitted she should have sought veterinary help but explained she was overwhelmed by caring for the dogs, her three children, and her job, which led to her inability to provide proper care.

Two days prior to the discovery, Lewis had brought the puppies to Fouracre’s home. Upon returning from a holiday abroad, Fouracre was surprised to find the puppies there. The court also learned that the health issues of the puppies had begun before they were left at his residence. Evidence showed that Fouracre had been advertising bulldog puppies for sale online since 2017, and Lewis had attempted to sell puppies via Facebook just a month before the case was uncovered. Prosecutors described their actions as driven by a desire for 'commercial gain.'

Both defendants pleaded guilty to multiple animal welfare offences. Fouracre admitted to nine charges, including causing unnecessary suffering and neglecting the animals’ basic needs, while Lewis pleaded guilty to four offences related to the puppies. Neither had previous convictions. The court heard that the adult bulldogs were not in Lewis’s care at the time of the offences.

Legal representatives provided context for their clients’ actions. Ruth Smith, representing Fouracre, stated that her client was unaware of the extent of the puppies’ suffering when he returned from holiday and had attempted to treat the prolapse himself. She added that Fouracre was in financial difficulty due to job loss during the pandemic and was now living with his parents. He had recently secured employment through an agency and no longer intended to keep animals.

For Lewis, solicitor Will Bebb highlighted her role as a mother and the impact of potential imprisonment on her children, who might need to be taken into social services. He explained that she had cared for a family dog for 12 years without issues but was overwhelmed by the number of puppies and her active work schedule, which resulted in unintentional but inadequate care.

The judge, Recorder Ben Blakemore, condemned the pair’s actions, emphasizing that their intent was profit-driven and that the conditions in which the dogs were kept were beyond belief. He noted the absence of ventilation and toys in the Clive Road property, leading the dogs to chew on anything available. The judge described the conditions as 'beggaring belief.'

As part of their sentences, Dominic Fouracre was banned from keeping animals for eight years, a ban that will last until November 2031. He received a 22-week jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, along with 180 hours of unpaid work and ten days of rehabilitation activities. Rachel Lewis received a 14-week jail sentence, also suspended for 12 months, along with 120 hours of unpaid work and eight days of rehabilitation. She was not subject to a ban on keeping animals.

Both defendants were ordered to pay £4,000 each towards prosecution costs, a sum slightly lower than the prosecution’s initial request. Following sentencing, Hope Rescue publicly expressed their disappointment with what they described as the court’s leniency. The charity revealed that out of the twelve dogs rescued, only seven survived, with two euthanized immediately due to severe suffering, including a male puppy with a necrotic rectal prolapse. The remaining dogs battled parvovirus but were saved thanks to the efforts of Hope Rescue and veterinary teams. Further investigations uncovered serious joint and spinal issues in three more dogs, one of whom had already been adopted and had to be euthanized. The charity spent approximately £25,000 on veterinary care to give the dogs a fighting chance.

Hope Rescue also disclosed that the couple had boasted about their connections to another controversial breeding operation, Posherbulls, owned by Karl and Victoria Shellard. The Shellards faced their own prosecution in 2022 for illegal breeding and animal welfare offences, which was highlighted in a BBC documentary exposing unethical dog breeding practices. This case underscores the ongoing issues surrounding illegal and unethical dog breeding in the region, with Barry once again at the center of a disturbing animal cruelty scandal.