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LANGTON, Ont. – A 27-year-old Ontario man is set to appear in court Thursday near London, Ont., to answer to animal cruelty charges after more than 1,000 pigs were found dead on a farm earlier this year.

The Ontario SPCA says officers attended a pig farm in Langton, Ont., in February and found dead and dying pigs with no access to food.

The animal welfare agency says an estimated 1,265 pigs were dead when officers arrived and an additional 250 had to be euthanized on-site due to the severe condition in which they were found.

READ MORE: 2 men face animal cruelty charges after dead pigs found at farm near Windsor

In a news release Wednesday, the agency says the accused – who now lives in Tavistock, Ont. – is scheduled to make an appearance at Norfolk County Provincial Offences Court to answer to eight counts of animal cruelty.

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He has been charged with one count of causing distress to an animal, one count of permitting an animal to be in distress and six counts of failing to comply with prescribed standards of care.

In a statement, Bonnie Bishop of the OSPCA says “There is no excuse for not providing the proper care your animals require,” and “Failure to do so can have serious legal consequences.”