A man has been charged with a series of offences after the remains of 37 dogs were found at an address.
Essex Police said officers, together with colleagues from the RSPCA and Basildon Council, visited a property in the Crays Hill area of Billericay on Tuesday and the remains were discovered.
The force said two men were arrested on suspicion of fraud, relating to transfer of ownership of dogs, and animal cruelty offences.
A 25-year-old man, Ovaeed Rahman, of Hope Road in Crays Hill, Billericay, has since been charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, Essex Police said.
He is also charged with an offence contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and three counts of fraud by false representation.
Rahman appeared before Southend Magistrates’ Court on Thursday and was remanded in custody until a plea hearing at Basildon Crown Court on June 9, a court official said.
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A second man, who was arrested during the visit, has been conditionally bailed until July.
Inspector Steve Parry, of the Basildon neighbourhood policing team, said: “This has been an extremely intensive investigation – to have secured such significant charges within 36 hours of making an arrest is a real testament to the unwavering commitment of the officers here in Basildon.
“The public sentiment surrounding this investigation is not lost on us and I would continue to urge the public to be responsible when discussing this, both online and in person.
“We are also acutely aware there will be a number of people, potentially across the UK, who may have questions on the current situation or information which they want us to know about.
“We have now set up a dedicated public portal through which we would ask for people to make contact.”
He said the investigation was “likely to be a complex and potentially far-reaching” one, and that police “won’t be able to give running commentary – but we will endeavour to keep the public informed on this investigation when it is appropriate to do so.”
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