Overview

• On June 4, Essex Police arrested a 25-year-old London woman on suspicion of animal cruelty in connection with 37 dogs found dead at a Crays Hill property.
• The remains of four additional animals were discovered after the landowner dismantled buildings in coordination with Essex Police and the RSPCA.
• Ovaeed Rahman has been charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal under the Animal Welfare Act and multiple fraud offences and remains remanded ahead of a plea hearing on June 9.
• Officers recovered 21 live animals from the site and are respectfully removing all animal remains to determine whether they are linked to earlier discoveries.
• Basildon Council is probing regulatory gaps in private rescue operations and authorities have set up an online portal for members of the public to submit information.