About 12.40pm Thursday 6 November 2025, police were called to Headons Lane, Hay following reports of animal cruelty.

Officers attached to Murrumbidgee Police District arrived to find five dogs locked inside a trailer and two dogs chained to a tree, with little food or water.

The owner was not located the property and could not be reached.

About 11.30am Sunday 9 November 2025, officers returned to the property with a Hay Shire Council ranger and seized the seven dogs.

The owner – a 70-year-old man – was charged with commit an act of aggravated cruelty upon an animal, fail to provide proper and sufficient food to animal and being in charge of an animal fail to exercise.

He was handed a court attendance notice to appear at Hay Local Court on Monday 2 February 2026.