More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Almost 40 dogs were rescued from a puppy farm during a police and RSPCA raid.
Officers from the rural task force and the animal charity descended on the property in the Meopham area.
A total of 36 dogs and three cats were taken away and £10,000 was seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
The operation was conducted on September 22.
The RSPCA will now lead the investigation and any prosecutions which follow.
As well as the Meopham raid, in September the rural officers made eight arrests, acting on four animal welfare warrants, seized 22 vehicles and were able to return a farm vehicle to its owner.
With the harvest now complete and the land clear, the team has turned its attention to tackle hare coursing.
The officers utilise the Farm Watch social media group in an effort to quickly identify and respond to incidents as they are happening.
The group has grown rapidly over the past few months and now has more than 1,500 members.
Task force spokesman Sgt Darren Walshaw said: "We are now beginning to see an increase in reports of hare coursing and poaching.
"This will be a significant concern to those in rural communities as the people associated with this crime often cause damage to property and can be extremely aggressive when challenged.
"Kent Police has now joined a seven-force collaboration to tackle the issue and we are hoping to be able to disrupt this illegal activity by working with our neighbouring forces."
To read more about Kent’s furry, flying and finned friends, click here.
