St Austell man banned from keeping dogs after animal attacks
Ross Jan Stone's dogs killed 22 sheep and caused others to be put down
A man from St Austell has been banned from keeping dogs for 10 years, after allowing his pets to stray and attack animals.
Ross Jan Stone's dogs killed a total of 22 sheep, six more had to be put down, and there are claims the dogs also caused the deaths of local cats and domesticated rabbits.
Cornwall Council applied for a Criminal Behaviour Order, which has been granted by Bodmin Magistrates Court, to prevent Stone from keeping dogs.
He didn't attend court and now has 21 days to rehome his dogs or pass them over to the Council.
It also follows a Community Protection Notice for Stone - of Coopeage Farm, Trewoon - issued in May 2024 after his dogs were collected multiple times by the authority's stray dog service.
In December last year, he was found guilty of five charges of breaching that notice and ordered to pay £13,000 in fines and costs.
Stone was also prosecuted by the RSPCA in July 2023 and convicted of neglect and causing unnecessary suffering to another dog belonging to him.
Dog owners in Cornwall are reminded that it’s against the law to let a dog be dangerously out of control anywhere, including at home or in public.
It's also a legal requirement for all dogs to wear an ID collar and a microchip linked to the current owner’s contact information.