A pub landlady has defended herself after being accused of animal neglect, saying the allegations simply aren’t true.

Emma Pearson, who runs the Waggon at Hale in Chatham, says she was “heartbroken” after seeing a post on Friday claiming the pub was keeping its animals in unsuitable conditions.

To make matters worse, one of her goats, Custard, died after allegedly being poisoned on Sunday.

Pictures posted by Emily Purcell sparked outrage on social media, with many claiming the animals were being kept in poor conditions.

The images show several farmyard animals in their enclosures in the pub garden.

Emily says she was “shocked” after seeing the conditions they were being kept in, explaining: “The garden is quite small and they’re in very tight.

“They're in a very little area and there’s really no enrichment – they've got no grass, and the flooring they're on has deteriorated.

“It's just really not nice to look at. I was shocked to say the least”.

The pictures were posted at the start of April, but on Friday were shared in another group, which she says “kind of just blew up everywhere.”

She added: “These animals are being kept in really bad conditions, and obviously a lot of people do agree, and a lot of people who have gone there have had the same opinion.”

Speaking to KentOnline yesterday (Tuesday), Emma, who has run the pub for the past 14 years, says the allegations are wrong and that her animals are “very well-loved”.

She explained: “I think it's very much about the angle at which the photos were taken.

“The animals are not skinny, they are fed and given water twice a day and they have regular vet visits.

“They also get taken for a walk around the garden.

“These animals have had my time and attention. All of them are rescued, and they would have had to have been put down if we hadn’t taken them on.

“The enclosure is a lot bigger than it looks in the photos.

“They don't live on grass. Admittedly, they were living on wooden pallets because the RSPCA wanted them on hard standing

“We took the pallets out this morning, and put down hard stone.

“They have access to hay nets and when we have gardeners come, they get branches to nibble on, and they nibble on the trees while out for walks.”

She says that allegations that the animals are not regularly fed and given water are “completely untrue”.

She explained: “Our staff member spends a good hour-and-a-half to two hours out there every morning making sure all their water bowls are clean and that they're fed.

“I buy them all salad leaves, including spinach.

“We have a supplier that gives us broccoli and stuff that you can't sell but is edible.”

To add to the heartbreak over the allegations, she says that over the weekend, one of her goats, Custard, was found dead.

After checking CCTV, she says a person can be seen walking onto the premises in the early hours of Sunday morning, but it was not clear what they were doing.

A vet later confirmed that all three of the goats at the site had been poisoned.

“I just broke down into a flood of absolute tears”, she said.

She has since put up floodlights above the enclosures as a deterrent and has reported the incident to the police.

There are goats, pigs, rabbits, chickens, and guinea pigs at the pub.

She says that since the post was made, she has been “constantly shaking”.

She said: “It's been a very upsetting and stressful weekend for me, to the point where I don't feel safe in my own home.

“It’s heartbreaking. I hate to use the word mental health, because I think I'm normally quite a strong person.

“But at the moment, I dread answering the phone, I dread opening my emails. I’m constantly shaking.”

An RSPCA spokesperson said: “We are aware of this but unfortunately we’re unable to discuss specific complaints and what action may have been taken for legal reasons.

“We know this is frustrating but we must comply with the law at all times.

“However, we appreciate everyone who reports animal welfare concerns to us and would like to reassure the public that we will look into, and if necessary, investigate reports made to us.”