Investigating officer:
RSPCA Inspector
Suzanne Smith
Defendant:
Female 38, unemployed
Offences:
Animal Welfare Act 2006 s4
and s9
Pleas:
Not guilty
Total convictions:
Seven
Sentence:
Disqualified from keeping
animals for 10 years; 200 hours'
unpaid work; £10,000 costs.
Prosecuted by:
Nicholas Sutton Solicitors
Investigating officer:
RSPCA Inspector
Rebecca Cooper
Defendant:
Female 42, warehouse assistant
Offences:
Animal Welfare Act 2006 s4
and s9
Pleas:
Guilty
Total convictions:
13
Sentence:
Disqualified from keeping
animals for 10 years except
ducks, geese and chickens;
200 hours' unpaid work;
£2,246.30 costs.
Prosecuted by:
Nicholas Sutton Solicitors
WEST MIDLANDS
PERSONS
CONVICTED 64
TOTAL
CONVICTIONS 133
The walls of a large shed were
lined with wooden hutches;
some built-in, others stacked on
top of each other. The air was
stifling with an acrid smell of
ammonia. Dusty cobwebs hung
over the walls, ceiling and some
of the hutches.
The cages held a vast number of
guinea pigs and rabbits, some with
ailments - notably two rabbits
with obvious head-tilts and a
number of animals with hair loss.
Some animals showed signs of
severe skin problems. A number
of hutches had wet substrate;
one also contained insect pupae.
It was evident none had been
cleaned for a very long time.
The woman signed the animals
over into RSPCA care and RSPCA
Inspector Rebecca Cooper and
RSPCA Animal Welfare Officer
Ben Jones worked through the
night to remove them.
Sadly 13 rabbits and 53 guinea
pigs had to be euthanased, on
veterinary advice.
West MidlandsA woman who kept 103 guinea pigs and 32 rabbits in
sordid, unhealthy conditions was disqualified from
keeping certain animals for 10 years.
WARWICKSHIRE
PERSONS
CONVICTED 7
TOTAL
CONVICTIONS 15
WarwickshireVarious dead and decomposing animals were found
on a smallholding in Warwickshire, along with others
that had been severely neglected.
A zwartble ewe was found
collapsed next to the carcasses of
another sheep and a pony. When
RSPCA Inspector Suzanne Smith
examined the ewe she could feel
"pretty much every bone in her
body" through her fleece. The
ewe was suffering from a heavy
worm burden as well as severe
malnutrition, and had to be
euthanased on humane grounds
a day later when it became clear
she could not recover.
Three ponies, three pigs and
two hens were all found to be
underweight. The pigs had lice
and mite infestations and the
ponies had overgrown hooves.
The general level of animal
husbandry was poor and the
animals' basic needs had not
been provided for. None of the
surviving animals had access to
clean drinking water.
In passing sentence the district
judge told the woman she
came very close to a custodial
sentence and warned her
that if she breached the
disqualification she would be
likely to face imprisonment.
A subsequent appeal against
conviction was dismissed.
36PROSECUTIONS
Annual report OUR FRONTLINE WORK
2014