CONVICTED (2024) | Stephanie Sinclaire, born c. 1956, of Stour Hill, Brierley Hill DY5 – kept 13 sick and neglected pets inside her filthy home.
Animal hoarder Sinclaire kept eight cats and five dogs in a foul environment, surrounded by a build-up of faeces and urine. One of the dogs was in such poor condition that he had to be put down.
There was no clean water source available and no comfortable bedding for resting.
Some of the animals were found in small crates with no litter trays or heavily soiled litter trays and all had urine and faecal soiling to their coats.
The dogs were found to be suffering with a variety of health conditions including fleas, skin lesions, dental disease and eye discharge.
Four of the five dogs and all eight of the cats were underweight because of a lack of food.
The vet who examined the animals said they would have been suffering unnecessarily for weeks due to poor body condition and the associated feelings of weakness and hunger.
Two dogs, Sykes and Ozzy, had lesions on their skin due to pressure from inappropriate housing and prolonged contact with urine and faeces causing scalding to the skin.
The vet said Ozzy would have suffered unnecessarily for a number of weeks due to pain associated with severe spondylosis – a painful condition of the spine resulting from the degeneration of the intervertebral discs – affecting multiple regions of his spine.
As a result of these spinal issues he developed painful urine scald and pressure sores affecting his limbs.
In their report, the vet said: “This unnecessary suffering could have been avoided by seeking veterinary treatment, including pain relief and by providing an appropriate environment that would have prevented Ozzy from lying in his own urine and faeces.”
Sadly Ozzy had to be put to sleep by vets because of the severity of his condition.
The other animals, who have been in RSPCA care since their rescue, can now be found new homes after Sinclaire was also deprived of ownership when she was sentenced.
Sinclaire admitted four animal welfare offences following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA.
RSPCA Inspector Ben Jones said: “Our plea to all animal owners is to make sure they always receive care and treatment they need.
“Animals are completely reliant on their owners to ensure their needs are met and they are kept safe and healthy.”
Sentencing | 26-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months; 15 days of rehabilitation; £400 costs. Disqualified from keeping animals for 10 years.
CONVICTED (2024) | Thabiso Luzuko Giyo, born July 1994, currently of High Street, Chatham, but with links to Tottenham Hale, London, and Edinburgh in Scotland – for the systematic torture of a pug puppy.
The tiny seven-month-old pug, called Capri, was discovered with severe burns to her face, mouth and tongue after Giyo doused her with boiling water. She had also suffered trauma to her head. In addition, X-rays showed that she had a fracture to her right leg and healed pelvic fractures from older injuries.
The puppy was first taken to a vets in Chatham with swelling to her head believed to have been caused by trauma. A few weeks later she was back at the vets, this time with burns and injuries to her face, mouth and tongue. The RSPCA was then alerted.
The vet said in a witness statement: “Capri presented with massive burns over her face and nek. Her tongue was swollen to three times its size and sloughing.
“The substance she had been burned with also affected her left eye”.
In a court statement RSPCA Inspector Kirsten Ormerod, who investigated for the animal charity, said Capri’s owner claimed to have left her in the care of flatmate Giyo for around four hours while she went out shopping.
Inspector Ormerod added: “She stated that on her return at 6:30pm Capri had a sore face.
“She stated Giyo had wiped Capri’s face with an exfoliating glove but quite quickly Capri’s face started to swell and she was struggling to breathe so she took Capri to the emergency vet.
“She had red, open wounds to her face, nose and around her mouth. Her tongue appeared very swollen and she was not able to close her mouth due to her swollen tongue.
“She was also audibly breathing loudly and appeared lame on her back right leg and was very reluctant to put weight on it.”
Capri’s owner told Inspector Ormerod she’d informed police and had asked Giyo to leave the property, but was able to provide a contact telephone number for him.
The vet’s witness statement added: “Nobody was willing to tell us what substance Capri had been burned with. [Giyo] said he gave her a bath and used an exfoliating glove on her which didn’t add up to the severity of the injuries she presented with.
“While she was under anaesthetic for an endoscopy, she was also x-rayed. The x-rays showed a fracture of the right [leg]. The x-rays also showed healed pelvic fractures from older injuries.”
Speaking about Capri’s first stint in hospital, the vet said: “She was really calm and relaxed around females but shrank away and trembled in the presence of a male vet.
“She was absolutely terrified of males in hospital to the point where only females could handle her without stressing her out.”
When a feeding tube was fitted to help the puppy, it was later suggested that the burns had been caused by boiling water.
Two weeks after she was first admitted, Capri began eating on her own and her injuries started to improve.
In January 2023, she had surgery for her leg fracture and was moved to an RSPCA rehoming centre to recover.
She was later adopted by one of the vet nurses who saved her life.
In court Giyo, an inspiring rapper who came to the UK from Pretoria in South Africa, pleaded guilty to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act.
Giyo, who according to his LinkedIn profile works in network support for internet service provider Trooli, told the court that Capri’s injuries had been caused accidentally and denied having intentionally harmed the puppy,
Sentencing | 22 weeks in prison, suspended for two years; £800 in costs and £154 victim surcharge. THREE-year ban on keeping any animals (expires May 2027).
CONVICTED (2024) | Thomas Hardy, born 13 April 1992, of 48 Prior Court, Billingham TS23 3PL – for two counts of animal abuse involving blunt force trauma, physical violence and intimidatory behaviour towards two Cockapoos.
Sickening CCTV footage from Prior Court, Billingham, captured Thomas Hardy inflicting a litany of abuse on two terrified dogs.
One clip showed Hardy repeatedly punching a tan-coloured Cockapoo in the head, before placing her in a stranglehold, compressing her chest between his legs and swinging her around by the neck.
Further footage showed the same dog cowering from Hardy and trying to run before he grabs her by the scruff and lifts her off the floor. He places his free hand around the dog’s throat and carries her swinging in front of him.
She is then thrown into a lift and collides with the back of it before Hardy kicks her under the chin and blocks the security camera.
In a third clip filmed 10 days later Hardy is seen with a brown male Cockapoo. The dog is initially wagging his tail as he follows Hardy. He is grabbed by the neck as the defendant violently puts a lead on him before being dropped to the floor and yanked off his front feet. His tail stops wagging and he is observed acting submissively.
An RSPCA inspector visited Hardy’s flat with police officers on August 2, 2023,. Due to animal welfare concerns, entry to the property was forced after there was no reply.
In written evidence to the court, the RSPCA inspector said: “Inside the property was a light brown Cockapoo type dog, she was very nervous and cowering down.
“The flat the dog was living in was very unkempt and smelt of excrement and had faeces littered around.
“The dog was seized by the police and placed into the care of the RSPCA and I put her in my vehicle.”
In written evidence to the court the vet who examined the female dog and viewed the CCTV footage, said: “The individual in the videos is clearly seen to hit, choke, kick and throw the tan cockapoo.
“There is no reason to treat any animal in this way. The dog will have suffered physical pain and in addition showed clear signs of emotional distress.”
The vet said Hardy had inflicted pain and fear on both dogs and they had suffered unnecessarily as a result.
Hardy pleaded guilty to the charges.
Speaking after the conclusion of the case, RSPCA Chief Inspector Mark Gent said: “The video footage of these dogs being abused by Hardy multiple times was very difficult to watch. It’s hard to understand how someone can treat animals with such contempt and cruelty, and we will never know, as the defendant refused to be interviewed about it. We’d sincerely like to thank the police and the security staff for their assistance in this case which has been upsetting for everyone involved.”
The female cockapoo was looked after at a private boarding facility on behalf of the RSPCA and has since been happily rehomed.
The offence was deemed serious enough to warrant a prison sentence. However, it was suspended given Hardy’s admission of guilt.
Sentencing | twelve-week custodial, suspended for 24 months, for each charge; thinking skills programme; £600 costs and £154 victim surcharge. Disqualified from dealing or participating in keeping any animals for 12 years.
Following Hardy’s conviction, the Daily Mail spoke with two of his neighbours with one telling the newspaper that the two dogs he attacked belonged to his boss.
The neighbour added that he had “never seen Thomas fight”.
A second neighbour said he was ‘shocked’ to hear about the case as Hardy is a good neighbour.
“Good neighbour” Thomas Hardy from Billingham
He said: ‘I didn’t hear anything about the attack but I knew that he had a dog at one point.
‘I’m shocked to hear about the attack. I know he has his problems and that he had his problems.
‘He is a little bit anti-authority.
‘But, when you meet him and you know him that isn’t the person I know.
‘He is a good neighbour. He doesn’t have loud parties and barely has anyone over.’
CONVICTED (2024) | drug addict Niall O’Kane, born 21 January 1987, of Altinure Road, Claudy, Londonderry BT47 4DG – punched a dog repeatedly, bit her then tried to strangle her during domestic violence incident.
Junkie O’Kane, who has a string of criminal convictions dating back 14 years, also attacked his sister in bed and set fire to her bedroom door while she was inside.
The court was told that on July 10, 2023, O’Kane returned to the home he shared with his mother and sister in a state of intoxication.
He asked his sister, who was in bed, if he could borrow her phone, but she refused.
O’Kane then became “violent, aggressive and threatening” and turned his attention to his sister’s dog,.
The court heard he “punched the dog a number of times, bit the dog and then grabbed it by the neck as if trying to strangle it”.
As his sister grappled with him to protect her pet, O’Kane “grabbed her by the back of the head and bit her on the cheek” before he staggered from the bedroom.
A short time later, the sister noticed flames at her door and rang some friends to come to her aid.
When they arrived at the property, O’Kane, who was slumped on the sofa, told them to “f*** off”.
They ignored him and extinguished the fire, which he had started by piling clothes against the door and setting them alight.
O’Kane was unfit to be interviewed by police until the following day. He said he recalled nothing of the previous evening because he had been on a drink and drug binge. He denied attacking the dog, however, and claimed to have a good relationship with his sister.
Ultimately O’Kane, who has links to Limavady, County Londonderry, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to an animal alongside assault, criminal damage and arson.
The court heard that Kane had amassed 51 previous convictions — half of them related to his drug habit.
Sentencing | one-year custodial of which half will be spent on licence. No mention of a ban on keeping animals.
CONVICTED (2024) | prolific backyard extreme bully breeder Troy Eric Bowyer, born January 1992, of 5 Aberthaw Drive, Alway, Newport NP19 9QB* and Sam Hudacek, born c. 1999, of Albert Avenue, Maindee, Newport NP19 8FF – filmed themselves trying to artificially inseminate a pet dog.
The men were described in court as making a “crude and amateurish” attempt to inseminate a dog. A judge said when he first saw the footage he thought it showed “some sort of sexual perversion”.
The attempts of Troy Bowyer, who bred and sold cropped-eared bull-breed dogs under the name ‘One Hunna Bullys’, and Hudacek to impregnate the latter’s dog came to light after police executed a drugs search warrant and found the video on a mobile phone. The phone also showed Hudacek had been involved in dealing cocaine.
The video showed a female bull dog standing on her front legs with her back legs being held up and Bowyer moving his fingers in and out of the dog. A syringe could also be seen in the footage.
The court heard the footage was being shot by Hudacek and he could be heard laughing and giving Bowyer “encouragement” to carry on.
The court heard the footage appeared to show “some kind of artificial insemination” of the bitch.
When interviewed about the video footage Hudacek answered “no comment” to all questions asked while Bowyer accepted it was him on the footage but denied causing the dog unnecessary suffering.
Hudacek pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, while Bowyer pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Defence counsel for Hudacek said the defendant had moved to the UK from Slovakia as a 12-year-old boy and initially struggled at school in Newport as he could not speak English. When his parents later returned home, however, he decided to stay in Wales. He said “there are people who think he is capable of a lot more” and said the defendant wants to support his partner and be a better role model. He said his client’s role in the animal offence had been “peripheral”.
Counsel for Bowyer, who is no stranger to the Welsh courts, said the dog belonged to the co-defendant Hudacek and his client had been “asked to assist with the artificial insemination”.
He said Bowyer had a long-term partner of 18 years with whom he had two children with a third was on the way, although the couple did not actually live together.
Judge Simon Mills described the matters involving the dog as “frankly unpleasant”, and said when he first saw the footage he “thought there was some sort of sexual perversion going on” but in reality it was a “crude and amateurish attempt at artificial insemination” which would have caused the dog considerable discomfort.
Sentencing | Hudacek: three years in prison with one month to run concurrently for the animal welfare offence. Bowyer: 24 month community order for the animal offence with rehabilitation course; £500 fine. Neither man was banned from owning animals.
CONVICTED (2024) | hare coursers George William Miller, born July 1991, of Loupsfell Drive, Morecambe LA4 4SB and Lewis Sheridan, born 21 October 1986, of 128 Thicketford Road, Bolton BL2 2LU
The pair were seen hare coursing near the Lincolnshire villages of Twenty and West Pinchbeck on Friday 13 October 2023. They were spotted walking across arable land with their two long dogs. The dogs -one beige in colour and the other black – were seen chasing and catching hares.
Caught red handed: convicted hare courser Lewis Sheridan
The men had arrived in the area in a silver Skoda car which they had left near to a farm in the area. They had tried to hide the car behind some foliage.
On arriving back at the car, the men were challenged by the local farmer who had tried to block the car in with farm machinery. In a bid to escape, the Skoda was driven at speed across grassed areas and onto the A151.
Sheridan and Miller were arrested when their car was seen and stopped by officers from Lincolnshire Police’s Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT), around an hour later.
The men’s car was seized along with the two dogs and equipment including three thermal cameras, a video camera and four mobile phones.
Information obtained from the recording devices and mobile phones pinpointed the men’s unlawful activities and provided evidence of their offending.
During interview the men lied that they had the landowner’s permission to undertake pest control in the area.
On 1 May 2024 Sheridan and Miller pleaded guilty to hunting a wild mammal with a dog, contrary to Schedule 1 of the Hunting Act 2004.
Both men relinquished ownership of their dogs who have subsequently been rehomed.
Sentencing | 10-year Criminal Behaviour Orders banning them from entering onto any private land in Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire or Nottinghamshire during hare coursing season (31 July to 30 April) with a sighthound, ground, long dog, lurcher type dog or crossbreed or be in the company of any other people with that type of dog. Ordered to pay a total of £4,575.50 in full by 30 May 2024.
George Miller, who’s originally from Lancaster (Slyne Road) with links to Heysham, has a roofing company called Lancashire and Cumbria Roofing Ltd.
In March 2021 Miller received a three-year ban on breeding and selling dogs after being convicted of illegally trading puppies. He was prosecuted by Animal Protection Services following their investigation into his activities.
Lewis Sheridan is also a roofer. His wife runs a dog grooming company called Your Faithful Friend Limited, which operates from premises on Bury Road, Bolton BL2 6BB.
CONVICTED (2024) | mother and son Michelle Farrar of 122 Ealand Road, Batley WF17 8HT, and Ethan Lee Farrar of 15 Oakhill Road, Batley WF17 8JD – kept two dogs in a faeces-strewn property filled with hazards and starved and neglected one of them.
Persistent animal abusers Michelle and Ethan Farrar were both ordered to undertake rehabilitation. The mother received a two-year ban while her son is banned from having anything to do with animals for the next five years.
The court heard that in October 2022, RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer (ARO) Rebecca Goulding visited an address in Oakhill Road, Batley, to check on the welfare of dogs living there.
Looking through the window ARO Goulding could see two Dogues de Bordeaux – an adult and a puppy. She said: “Both dogs looked in reasonable condition, and were bright, alert and active”.
The vile pair ignored RSPCA warnings to take proper care of their dogs and instead starved one of them and kept her in grim and hazardous conditions.
There were however concerns about the animals’ living conditions with ARO Golding stating that “the stench of urine and faeces that could be smelt from outside the property, combined with the filthy windows and stained curtains suggested that conditions inside were not suitable for the dogs. The living room appeared in complete disarray and all surfaces were covered in faeces.
“When I got inside of the house, the smell of urine and faeces in the living room was overpowering”
The RSPCA was told by the property’s resident, Ethan Farrar, that the two dogs belonged to his mother Michelle Farrar, who although the legal tenant of the Oakhill Road property, lived elsewhere, in Ealand Road.
ARO Goulding advised both the mother and son that the condition of the house at Oakhill Road was unsuitable for the dogs and that improvements must be made otherwise they would have to be removed from there.
ARO Goulding made many unsuccessful attempts to visit and contact Michelle Farrar in person. When Michelle Farrar finally did return ARO Goulding’s calls, she agreed to sign the puppy – named Rain – over to the RSPCA and to move the adult dog – Storm – from the address at Oakhill Road, to the other address in Ealand Road, which provided a more suitable environment.
Farrar was warned against the dog being returned to Oakhill Road, unless significant improvements were made to that property.
Conditions inside the property at 15 Oakhill Road, Batley
A month later, ARO Goulding returned to Oakhill Road for a spot check. To her dismay she discovered that Storm was in the property’s back yard which was full of hazards and littered with faeces.
ARO Goulding warned Ethan Farrar that if Storm was found inside the property, then she would be removed.
In February 2023, RSPCA inspector Demi Hodby visited Oakhill Road for a follow up inspection, to check that Storm wasn’t being kept at the Oakhill Road house. But on arrival, she could see a now very thin Storm sitting on a faeces-covered window ledge and noticed a strong smell of faeces and urine coming from the property’s air vents.
Ethan Farrar admitted that there had been no improvements made to the condition of the property. The Farrars had once again ignored the RSPCA’s warning not to return Storm to these filthy conditions. In addition, the dog’s body condition had seriously deteriorated and she had lost a substantial amount of weight.
Inspector Hodby advised that the dog must now see a vet, that an investigation had been started and that Storm would be in RSPCA care until the investigation was concluded.
Storm was taken into the care of the RSPCA and was thoroughly examined by a vet and treatments to improve her condition were started.
Veterinarian Dr Sean Taylor, expert witness for the prosecution, reported that the evidence indicated that as well as a 3cm (1.2in) lesion on her tongue, Storm had dental disease which was causing her to experience pain. The evidence suggested that the condition had been present for some time and Storm would have suffered for a period of at least five days, but probably longer.
In addition, Dr Taylor reported that due to the house at Oakhill Road being so unhygienic and full of hazards, Storm’s needs had not been met. He added that those responsible for the welfare of this animal had failed to provide a suitable environment
RSPCA Inspector Demi Hodby said: “It was the Farrars’ legal responsibility to properly care for Storm and they failed to do this. Not only did they repeatedly ignore instructions to improve the conditions that Storm was being forced to live in, but there was also no excuse for failing to get veterinary care for her when it was abundantly clear she so desperately needed it.
“This was a sad case and Storm’s suffering could have easily been avoided. The RSPCA urges anyone struggling to take care of their animal to ask for help and act on advice, rather than neglecting them and leaving them to suffer.”
Storm was later rehomed by the RSPCA, and though sadly diagnosed with cancer, had a new home for the remainder of her life.
Sentencing | Both were given 12 month community orders with 20 days of rehabilitation; each was ordered to pay costs of £400 and £114 victim surcharge. Michelle Farrar received a two-year ban applicable to all animals (expires April 2026) while Ethan Farrar received a five-year ban (expires April 2029).
CONVICTED (2024) | Richard Collier, born c. 1994, of Meadow Close, Woodley, Stockport SK6 1QZ – hurled a cat through the air and onto the floor, causing fatal injuries.
Angry after the family cat, Bella, hissed at him, Collier said he launched her upwards while she was in her bed with her landing on the floor. He then picked her up but Bella had a seizure and died in his arms.
Woodley locals took to social media as news of Collier’s horrific animal cruelty spread
In a basis of plea document Collier stated: “I was in the living room with my partner and children. Bella [the cat] was on the back of the sofa near my partner. She grabbed it and threw her to the floor and it ran into the soft cat tent.
“Bella hissed at me, I don’t know why but I threw it up into the air and she landed on the floor. I thought it would just get a shock. It had a seizure and died in my arms.”
Collier said he was ‘very upset and sorry’, claiming he didn’t mean to hurt the cat. He said he had been diagnosed with ‘intermittent explosive disorder’.
In a statement, his former partner described Collier’s behaviour as ‘disgusting’.
Reading her statement to the court, prosecutor Ewan Cooper said: “It’s not normal to behave in this way, it is not normal for kids to see that and they’ll be affected by it.
“It’s not normal to go from sitting as a family to killing an innocent cat by smacking it against the floor.”
Mitigating, Saul Komish said Collier ‘lost his temper’, adding: “He accepted that he lost his temper as the cat went inside and threw the cat bed up into the air causing it to have a seizure.
“It was the family cat, they had it for six years, he was close to the cat. He is clearly remorseful.”
Mr Komish said Collier had no intention of injuring the cat, but the consequences of his actions were ‘clearly foreseeable’. He added that he has had no contact with his partner or children since the attack.
“He would say it was not a deliberate attempt to cause injury, but it was a momentary lapse in judgement,” the solicitor added.
Sentencing | 12-week sentence, suspended for 12 months; 100 hours of unpaid work and 20 days of rehab; £239 court costs. No mention of a ban.
CONVICTED (2024) | Dianne Pearson, born c. 1953, from Sowerby Bridge – for cruelty offences to 10 horses, many of whom were put to sleep.
Concerns about Pearson’s horses were raised with the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare in April 2023, and officers went to the scene in the village of Norland, Sowerby Bridge. There they discovered 10 horses and ponies kept in cramped, dirty stables and building. Faeces and soiled bedding had built up to the extent that the horses were struggling to stand.
Some of the horses had difficulty walking due to lameness while many were suffering from dental issues and other health problems. One horse was so thirsty he drank readily from a bucket of water when offered to him.
In her witness statement, RSPCA inspector Demi Hodby said all the horses were being kept in unsuitable conditions.
“There was no ventilation and very limited lighting inside,” she said. “All the stables were piled high with bedding and faeces and it was clear they had not been mucked out in some time. The bedding inside all the stables was piled so high that most of the horses’ heads were touching the roof. There was no water inside any of the stables.”
She added: “During our visit, Pearson admitted that Bud had not been out of his stable for two years and it took her over 10 minutes to dig the muck from behind Ellie’s stable door before she could open it and get her out. It also took her some time to dig out another horse called Rio.”
Rescuers had to dig their way into some of their stables owing to the build-up of soiled bedding and faeces.
Four horses were removed that day and six the next; all were examined by an equine vet, whose witness statement said: “In my opinion the environmental conditions these horses were found in were completely and wholly unsuitable.
“Many of the stables were in complete or mostly in darkness and most had little ventilation.This meant that when some of the horses reached the boarding establishment, they found normal visual things extremely stressful, and one horse had to be medicated for this. This shows the psychological suffering caused to these horses.
“The owner failed to take steps to meet the needs of these animals, and this has caused suffering in all of the horses due to the poor and unsuitable environments, and five out of 10 of these horses due to ailments observed.”
Pearson signed six horses over to the care of the RSPCA. After the case a deprivation order was secured so the remaining four came into the charity’s care.
After the case, Ms Hodby said: “I am so pleased to see Fern, Cody, Inca and JJ are thriving with our team at RSPCA Felledge, and delighted to hear that Tilly and Finn have already found their forever homes.
“This was a really sad case to work on and to see ponies kept in such awful conditions was heartbreaking. I’d like to say thank you to our colleagues at World Horse Welfare for their assistance in the rescue and investigating. Working together with other agencies allows us to reach more horses and ponies that need our help and make a big difference to animal welfare.”
Vets made the decision to put Bling, Bud, Ellie and Rio down for health reasons.
World Horse Welfare field officer Gilly Howard said: “Having been shut in those small and dirty stables for so long, Tilly was a very nervous pony and especially difficult to catch. But our amazing team at Penny Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Lancashire are working with her to gain her trust and the conclusion of this case means that she can be assessed with a view to finding her a forever home.”
Pearson’s age and her early guilty pleas were considered in mitigation, and it was agreed that although she “feels no particular remorse for the suffering occasioned to her horses”, she “does feel a sense of sadness and believes she always tried her best”.
“The defendant has come to accept that she doesn’t want any of the horses returned to her. She has no desire to keep horses in the future.”
Sentencing | 20-week suspended prison sentence for each of the four offences, to run concurrently, suspended for 12 months; 20 days of rehabilitation activity; £7,000 costs. Disqualified from owning horses, ponies, mules, donkeys and their hybrids indefinitely, with no right of appeal for 15 years.
CONVICTED (2024) | Amanda Hawkins, born 3 April 1974, of Keighley Avenue, Colne BB8 9EP – failed to get veterinary treatment for her dog’s chronic ear infection and skin condition.
Hawkins admitted one animal welfare offence in relation to nine-year-old Labrador, Robin, whom she had left to suffer for at least two months.. The RSPCA had provided Hawkins with a voucher for veterinary treatment but she claimed she had mislaid it.
Sadly, Robin’s condition had deteriorated to such an extent that a vet decided he should be put to sleep on welfare grounds.
In written evidence to the court, RSPCA Inspector Vicki Brooks, who attended Hawkins’ home in Keighley Avenue, Colne, said: “I was immediately aware of the unpleasant smell that I associate with dogs that have skin issues. I advised her that I was there to check that she had taken her dog for veterinary treatment in relation to a number of health issues.
“Robin was in lean body condition and had extensive fur loss and a skin condition affecting most of his body. I could see patches where he had scratched or rubbed himself to the point of bleeding. His ears were swollen and deformed, and he was shaking his head regularly which was a sign that he most likely had an ear infection.
“Amanda Hawkins told me that she had not taken Robin to the vet because she could not afford it. I reminded her that a previous colleague had issued her with an assistance voucher to contribute towards her veterinary costs and she told me she had lost the voucher.”
Hawkins was told Robin required urgent treatment and as she had not followed previous advice, animal welfare officers may have been committed.
She agreed for the officer to take him and he was seen at the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital later that day.
In written evidence, the vet who saw him said: “Robin had signs of chronic ear problems. Both the left and right ear canal were markedly thickened, meaning it was not possible to examine them while he was conscious.
“There was a diffuse reddening of the skin over much of the dog’s body with thinning hair, especially over the back. The presence of live fleas was also noted.
“Examination under a general anaesthetic showed that the right ear canal was narrowed so far as being completely closed over. The extent of scarring, thickening and signs of infection in both ears are likely to be associated with significant pain and discomfort for this dog. Aural haematomas, as suspected in this case, often arise from head shaking as a result of ongoing ear irritation/infection.
“Ear disease with this appearance takes some time to develop. In the early stages, a simple ear infection may not cause significant suffering, but the level of scarring seen here is likely to have caused significant suffering for at least two months, likely significantly longer.”
In interview, Hawkins said that Robin had started nibbling himself and that he was treated regularly for fleas and bathed in flea shampoo. She said she had switched his food to wheat-free but that got too expensive and nothing had worked.
RSPCA Deputy Chief Inspector Susie Micallef, who was also involved in the investigation, said: “This was a particularly sad case to deal with. Robin’s suffering could have been avoided had he received early veterinary intervention and his owner acted on the help and support that had been given to her.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 200 hours of unpaid work; £114 victim surcharge. Five-year ban (expires May 2029).
