Founder of big cat sanctuary in Hertfordshire banned from keeping animals

The founder, director and manager of a big cat sanctuary in Hertfordshire was yesterday (Thursday 23 January) banned from keeping animals for a minimum of five years having been convicted of multiple animal welfare offences.

 

Terrence Moore, 78, of Codicote Road, Welwyn, who founded the Cat Survival Trust charity in the 1970s, was found guilty of four counts of causing unnecessary suffering to animals by failing to seek proper and necessary veterinary care, following a three-week trial at St Albans Crown Court last year.

Moore was convicted on animal welfare charges related to a Wildcat named Hamish, a Bengal Cat named Jasmine, a Jungle Cat named Lily and an unnamed Caracal.

He was cleared of eight counts, namely against a Snow Leopard (x2), a Jaguar, an Amur Leopard, a Eurasian Lynx Kitten, a Hybrid Cat, Geese, and a Serval.

At a sentencing hearing in May 2024, Moore was sentenced to a minimum five-year disqualification order, which means he is banned from keeping animals during this period. This was suspended for a period of time to allow for as many of the remaining 28 animals to be rehomed as possible. In addition, he was ordered to pay £14,380 in fines and costs. 

A hearing was adjourned before Christmas due to Moore sustaining an injury at the Cat Survival Trust in November. Matters were finalised yesterday at St Albans Crown Court, bringing the disqualification order into effect.

 

Thanks to partnership work with the licencing authority (North Herts Council), Hertfordshire Zoo, alongside The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, has stepped in to vaccinate, feed, clean, and care for the animals while seeking permanent homes for the majority of them. A small number sadly had to be euthanised due to significant health issues. All licensable animals are now no longer at the Cat Survival Trust site on Codicote Road, and the premises has also been closed to visitors for some time.

The site housed many different species of cats, many of which were rare and/or endangered. The site was not a zoo and was therefore not generally open to the paying public, although those who purchased a membership to the Trust were able to arrange visits to the site to view the cats.

The investigation into practices at the 12-acre site was initiated by intelligence submitted by the National Wildlife Crime Unit in February 2022.

Officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Rural Operational Support Team (ROST), the North Herts Local Crime Unit and Scenes of Crime Officers (SOCO) subsequently carried out two warrants at the address, with officers from North Herts Council’s licencing team also conducting visits to the site.

 

On the first warrant in July 2022, officers were accompanied by a specialist veterinary surgeon who assessed the husbandry and welfare of the animals on site and the veterinary health care provided to them.

It was disclosed that Moore had not had a vet visit the site in a number of years, and that he often used a homeopathic product called Traumeel to treat some of his animals, which he claimed did not get sick. The product is used for human use in cases of acute musculoskeletal injuries on unbroken skin, and was considered inappropriate to use on animals.

Food preparation, storage and disposal did not appear to be carried out hygienically and in a way that prevented food from spoiling or becoming contaminated and, in some cases, the housing of the animals was inadequate or insecure.

There were also many domestic cats, which the jury heard were not vaccinated using veterinary-approved products, freely wandering around the site which exposed the Trust cats to the risk of disease. The Trust cats were not vaccinated using veterinary-approved products either, some of which are species that are considered critically endangered, leaving them vulnerable to extinction in the wild.

The records were also described as a mess, and several animals were suffering from diseases for which Moore had not sought any veterinary care.

 

Officers also seized around 26 carcasses from freezers that were used to store animals for long periods of time instead of being dispatched for cremation.

The jury heard how, in the case of the dead animals, no records of mortalities were seen so it is not known when or why other animals died or if any veterinary treatment was given, or if any investigation was carried out prior to or after the death of any of the animals.

Moore was also found guilty of seven counts of using an endangered animal species for commercial gain without a licence, and was cleared of four counts (Puma, Jaguarundi, Caracal and Ring-Tailed Lemurs).

Moore used two websites to advertise days on which photographs could be taken at the site. These photograph days were described as unique opportunities to get close to the big cats and take photographs with or of them for a fee in the hundreds of pounds.

Using these specific animals for commercial gain is banned unless a certificate from the Animal and Plant Agency (APHA) is held, but Moore did not have any.

Detective Constable Beth Talbot, from the North Herts Local Crime Unit and who led the investigation, said:

“I am pleased the jury reached a guilty verdict on a number of counts in what has been a complex and unique case.

“It is clear from the evidence that the Cat Survival Trust was poorly run. Terrence Moore knew how endangered these species were, understood their vulnerability to exploitation and should have been there to protect them. However, several animals at the site were in a sorry state and suffered at the hands of a man who should have looked after them.

“This case showed how Moore had a distaste for modern veterinary medicine and failed to hold accurate records of his animals, some of which face extinction in the wild. The sanctuary should have been a safe haven. I would also like to extend a thanks to the Royal Veterinary College who assisted in conducting post-mortem examinations on the animals as part of this case.

“I am pleased the vast majority of the remaining animals will now be able find a new forever home thanks to Hertfordshire Zoo and The Big Cat Sanctuary.”

Senior Crown Prosecutor in CPS Thames and Chiltern, Jan Muller, added:

"Moore exploited some of the animals in his care, leaving them to suffer unnecessarily.

“Evidence showed him failing to source much-needed medical help for some of the big cats he was responsible for.

“These animals were forced to live in squalor and Moore neglected them to such an extent that some died from illnesses that could have been treated.

“Where there is evidence and it is in the public interest, we will not hesitate to prosecute people for offences like this.”

Councillor Dave Winstanley, North Herts Council's Executive Member for Housing and Environmental Health, said:

"We’re relieved that the majority of the cats have been rehomed, and we’re grateful for the efforts of Hertfordshire Zoo and Mrs Moore – without their involvement, the animals could have faced a much worse outcome. I’d also like to extend my thanks to our council officers for their exemplary dedication in safeguarding the welfare of these animals.

“With Terrence Moore now banned from keeping animals for at least five years and no animals requiring licenses remaining on the premises, we remain committed to ensuring high standards of animal welfare across North Herts.”

Chief Inspector Kevin Lacks-Kelly, Head of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, added:

"This was a complex investigation and I thank Hertfordshire Constabulary for working with us to bring justice.

“I ask the public to be diligent when interacting around animals and exotics. In this case, we have some of the world’s most iconic species that have been exploited for financial gain, and they deserved better. Some of these cats evidently lacked adequate veterinary care.”