It has been reported in the UK press that the RSPCA is currently spending over £30,000 a month caring for the 150 or so horses that were rescued from James Gray, a horse trader who lost his appeal this week to overturn £3,000 of costs awarded against him in a civil case earlier this year.
Gray is currently appealing against his conviction and the six month prison sentence handed down to him. He was banned from keeping horses, ponies and donkeys for life whilst his wife Julia, son James and daughters Jodie and Cordelia were banned from keeping horses for 10 years.
Until the appeal is hearing is over the RSPCA are not permitted to re-home or sell any of the rescued horses; by then the total costs of caring for the horses could top £1million.
The Gray family was prosecuted after RSPCA inspectors 32 dead horses at their farm in Amersham in January last year.
RSPCA inspector, Kirtsy Hampton described conditions at the farm as grotesque; horses crammed into the most appalling conditions with little food, no dry bedding and ankle deep in their own faeces. Most were left to die where they fell and then left there to decompose surrounded by their barely living stable companions.
Gray showed has denied all allegation claiming that bad weather was been responsible for the wet bedding and tempory overcrowding at him farm.
