A young man has been arrested and charged with 16 counts relating to poaching and animal cruelty in Dorset.
The 23-year-old was arrested and a dog seized at a house in Bransgore in the New Forest on Monday morning (October 3).
This follows a series of incidents involving reported cruelty to deer and hares in Dorset, as well as other offences.
The man was arrested on suspicion of eight counts of animal cruelty, two offences of killing or injuring a deer, criminal damage to crops, three counts of assisting an offender, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and conspiracy to steal.
The dog is believed to have been used in poaching related offences.
Dorset's rural crime officers worked with colleagues from Hampshire Constabulary to execute the warrant.
Police are still looking for two other people believed to be linked to the incidents.
Inspector Richard Jeffrey, of Dorset Police’s Rural Crime Team, said: “We take reports of cruelty to animals very seriously and we have demonstrated how we will work with other forces to take a positive response.
“We will continue to work with our rural communities to investigate incidents of this nature and value the information and support they provide.”
UPDATE - October 6 -: Two other men have now been arrested in the operation
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