CONVICTED (2024) | Jake Craven, born 11 February 1996, currently of Linnaeus Street, Anlaby, Hull HU3, and Megan Findlay, born 18 April 1999, of Victoria Park Avenue, Scarborough YO12 7TR – neglected three dogs, starving one to death.
Craven and Findlay were offered help with rehoming when the RSPCA and a housing association officer visited their flat in Victoria Avenue in Scarborough in March 2023.
Two Staffies – Coco and her puppy Tinker – and a terrier called Rex were among several dogs being kept in breach of the tenancy agreement. When the housing association officer returned to the flat a fortnight later, she was unable to get inside.
RSPCA Inspector Tom Hutton later tracked the couple down to where they were living on wasteland near the Grand Hotel in Scarborough on June 10.
Findlay told the inspector they were homeless and Rex had died, so she had wrapped him in a blanket and put him inside their tent.
Inspector Hutton said in a statement presented to the court that Findlay then let the two Staffies out of the tent and he could see they were both extremely thin.
Their hips and ribs were prominent and their spines were visible. Both dogs were anaemic and needed treatment in an animal hospital.
A vet who examined two-year-old Coco said the dog was emaciated with a body condition score of two out of nine. Her daughter, Tinker, a six-month-old Staffie cross, scored three on the same chart.
“Both dogs were suffering due to lack of nutrition and water and were losing body condition. I estimate they would have been suffering for around a month at least to have lost that much weight,” said the vet.
In mitigation, the court was told that Findlay suffered from psychological problems, including ADHD and anxiety and depression. Craven was said to have “secondary responsibility” for the care of the dogs.
Coco and Tinker have been returned to good health and will now be rehomed by the RSPCA.
Jake Craven with Coco and Rex, the dog he and partner Findlay starved to death
Speaking after the hearing, Inspector Hutton said: “The defendants had ample time to address the weight loss of their dogs. They didn’t engage with the RSPCA’s foodbank scheme or seek the support one of our branches could have offered them if they were struggling.
“They rang us to tell us one of the dogs was dead and we rushed over, but it was too late by then.”
Sentencing | Craven – 18-month community order with 25 days of rehabilitation. Three-month curfew. Findlay – 18-month community order with 35 days of rehabilitation; victim surcharge of £114. Seven-year ban (expires May 2031).
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) | 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) | 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).
CONVICTED (2023) | Kasandra Benton, born September 1986, of Talke Road, Walsall WS5 4PH – neglected her injured and ailing dogs’ needs.
Pet collector Benton left two of her dogs to suffer without seeking vet treatment. They were an Akita named Delta, who was found with injuries from fighting another dog, and a chihuahua called Eddie, who had a huge ulcerated mass on his groin and had to be put to sleep.
The dogs were rescued from Benton’s home after concerns for their welfare were raised with the RSPCA.
RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer, Graeme Brookes, described what he saw when he entered Benton’s home.
He said: “As I walked in, the smell was strong. I saw multiple fresh stains of faeces in the living room. There was lots of domestic rubbish on the floor.
“Eddie had a very large growth on the side of his body that due to his size impacted his walk, on top of the growth was a large open wound.
“I asked to see Delta, who was kept locked in the kitchen. There was a large amount of faeces and urine in the kitchen. I asked why Delta was in the kitchen, and was told she’d been kept in there since the fight.
“Delta was friendly, however, I could see she couldn’t place her paw on the floor, hobbling significantly also her hair was matted on the back. I then noticed puncture marks on both her legs and the one she couldn’t put down was significantly swollen.”
Both dogs were taken to a vet who examined them and concluded both were suffering.
In his report, he said: “The owner was aware that Eddie had a swelling on his side and that it ulcerated a couple of months earlier. This mass was painful due to the damage to the skin over the mass. The lack of treatment and the inaction that in my opinion has led to unnecessary suffering.
“With Delta, once this fight had occurred a reasonable owner would immediately seek veterinary care especially with the number of injuries she sustained.
“She may have been walking initially but as the inflammation and infection worsened the swelling would have become more obvious and she would have become more lame and more painful.
“Many of the puncture wounds are often like the tip of the iceberg for dog bite injuries as the grip of the dog is maintained and the tear and rip the muscle and tissues below.”
Eddie had to be put to sleep because of the severity of his condition. Delta was placed in RSPCA care and can now be rehomed after the court granted a deprivation order.
RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer, Graeme Brookes added: “Our plea to all animal owners is to make sure they always receive care and treatment when they need it.
“Pets are completely reliant on their owners to ensure their needs are met and they are kept safe and healthy. Ensuring appropriate veterinary care is a key part of the responsibility we have towards them.”
Sentencing | 26-week suspended prison sentence; 15 hours of “rehabilitation”; £600 in costs plus a £187 surcharge. 20-year ban on keeping dogs.
CONVICTED (2024) | Donna Marie Morrison, born November 1981, of 36 Durham Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 6XP – turned a blind eye to her elderly dog’s suffering.
Morrison repeatedly ignored RSPCA advice to take elderly Staffy Dozer to a vet and instead left him to suffer with an animal mass and tumours across his body. The animal charity had even appointments on her behalf but she failed to attend.
Due to his owner’s neglect, tumours had spread through Dozer’s body, resulting in his thin body condition, and he sadly had to be put to sleep.
RSPCA Inspector Helen Nedley said: “My colleague, Inspector Suzanne Edgar found that Dozer had a soft lump the size of a golf ball around his tail area.
“He also had a small lump the size of the end of a Biro pen on his front right leg.
“She strongly advised Donna Morrison to take Dozer to the vets for a check up on these lumps within the next two weeks.”
The tumours had spread through the canine’s body resulting in his thin body condition. Sadly vets had no choice but to put him down to prevent further suffering.
The court heard that the RSPCA first visited Morrison’s home in September 2022, after receiving reports of concern from the public.
Morrison was advised by the officer to take the dog to the vet. While she had apparently agreed to this, she failed to follow up.
By May 2023 Dozer’s condition had deteriorated significantly and he was signed over to the RSPCA and taken to a vet.
An ultrasound found two very large, hard masses inside Dozer’s abdomen pressing against his bladder, which had possibly spread from the original tumour on his backside.
An RSPCA spokesperson said: “The vet stated that given that Dozer’s weight loss was likely to have been somewhat chronic in nature, and that the anal mass had been present for some time, suffering could have been avoided if the dog had been taken to a vet sooner. It was likely Dozer had suffered for several weeks.
“He added that given the significant weight loss and the presence of the tumour, the needs of the Staffy were not being met.”
RSPCA Inspector Helen Nedley added: “It was Morrison’s legal responsibility to properly care for Dozer and she failed to do this. There was no excuse for failing to seek veterinary care for him when it was abundantly clear he so desperately needed it.
“This was an awful case and Dozer’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.”
Sentencing | 18-month community order with 25 days of “rehabilitation” and 100 hours of unpaid work. £114 victim surcharge and £1,170 in costs. 10-year ban.
CONVICTED (2024) | Toni Leigh Rowland, born 22 August 1997, of Dundas Way, Felling, Gateshead NE10 9JR – left an 11-month-old dog to starve in a filthy cage.
Northumbria Police found Rowland’s dog- an American bulldog called Nala – in a urine-soaked cage in a bedroom at a property in Leeming Gardens. Sheriff Hill, Gateshead, on August 27, 2023, and rushed her to a veterinary practice
The puppy was so weak she couldn’t stand for longer than half a minute without falling over. The vet gave her a body condition score of just one out of nine and estimated she had been suffering from hunger for weeks if not months.
The RSPCA was contacted and an investigation started.
In written evidence to the court, Inspector Kirsty Keogh-Laws, who saw Nala at the vets, said: “She was desperately skinny and I was able to see every bone in her body.
“Her rib cage was visibly protruding from her body and I could count the bones along her spine. Her legs and back end were stained yellow with a strong smell of urine and she was unable to stand for longer than around 30 seconds or so without falling to the ground.
“I could see pressure sores on the pads of her feet and on her elbows. She was friendly despite being visibly very weak.”
The court heard that the team at Vets Now ran blood tests and instigated a feeding plan, aimed at preventing refeeding syndrome, which can be fatal.
Nala was cared for by a veterinary nurse from the practice before being transferred to the RSPCA rehoming centre for ongoing care in November 2023.
In court Nala’s owner, Rowland, a single mother whose two children have apparently been taken into care, admitted to two animal welfare offences.
Magistrates were told Rowland was suffering from “mental health problems” at the time.
When Nala arrived at the RSPCA Felledge Animal and Equine Centre in Chester-le-Street, she would urinate on the floor when staff called her name, so they stopped using it. Thankfully, there has been a happy ending for Nala, who has since been renamed Penny and rehomed with Beth Atkinson, who described her as “my world”.
Nala, who was renamed Penny, has been adopted by a woman who describes her as “my world”
Inspector Keogh-Laws praised Northumbria Police and vets for their support in the case, adding: “Without a doubt she was the thinnest dog I have ever seen alive. She couldn’t stand unaided at the vets for more than 30 seconds and was quite literally wasting away in a filthy cage.
“She was a very poorly dog when she first arrived at Vets Now in Gateshead and the team there were instrumental in her recovery. I think we were all hoping for the best but possibly fearing the worst, but they did a wonderful job. To see Penny now in her new home, transformed and living her best life with Beth, is just incredible.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 20 days of “rehabilitation” and 200 hours of unpaid work. FIVE-year disqualification order (expires April 2029).
CONVICTED (2024) | Sophie Charlotte Singer, born April 1982, and Keith Byrne, born 27 April 1984, of 3 Beauchamp Court, 3 Wilmington Gardens, Eastbourne BN21 4PB – left their 14-year-old boxer dog to die while they swanned off on holiday to Center Parcs.
Sophie Singer and Keith Byrne, who left their boxer dog to starve, were given a suspended prison sentence after the judge heard they have seven children
The heartless couple refused to accept their elderly pet, known as Bentley, was suffering before they abandoned him at home in January 2022.
Bentley died shortly after being found by the RSPCA
One of their neighbours raised the alarm in their absence, after entering the home through a broken front door to find Bentley at the foot of the stairs the day after they left.
His breathing was ‘rapid and shallow’, and the neighbour thought he was dying.
Bentley was ‘barely alive’ when an RSPCA inspector entered their home through an unlocked door the next day.
He was covered in scabs and weighed just 12.5kg – less than half the weight of an average boxer.
He had been so hungry, he turned to eating food wrappers and a felt pen found in his stomach. His claws were so overgrown they’d become talons.
Bentley was in such a poor state, police told the RSPCA inspector to remove him despite not legally being allowed to.
Judge Christine Laing KC, who said she has never owned a dog, said: ‘I find this case really extraordinary.
‘Even as a non dog owner, I would have seen instantly that this dog was in a terrible state.’
She added: ‘He would not have been able to move without being in agony.
‘The ribs showing through his skin you could not have failed to miss.
‘He had scabs and inflammation on his skin you could not have failed to miss.’
He had prominent ribs, hips and spine. His eyes were sunken and his claws were curling over.
The RSPCA did their best to save him, but Bentley died overnight after suffering months of neglect.
When contacted by the RSPCA through information found on Bentley’s chip, long distance lorry driver Byrne told them Bentley had not seen a vet for a year.
Singer said they put his condition down to old age and tiredness, claiming she believed he wouldn’t have come home if they had taken him to a vet.
The pair tried convincing the court they had left Bentley – their pet of seven years – in the care of a family friend, but the judge rejected this claim.
Judge Laing said: ‘You insist on continuing to persist with this bizarre story.
‘The dog had clearly been suffering for a very substantial period of time and you decided to swan off on holiday.
‘I’m not even convinced you had somebody to look after it or that this person even existed.
‘The animal was clearly starving. There was no food in its stomach.
‘It really is appalling behaviour. I am at a loss.
‘Both of you talk about it as if it was a beloved family pet.
‘What an example you are showing to your children about what love is.’ Singer and Byrne were convicted in their absence of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and failing to ensure his welfare.
Criticising their avoidance of court, the judge said: ‘There is no mitigation to be found.
‘I’m quite satisfied you have gone to considerable efforts to avoid the whole court process.’
The judge told them they would likely have had to serve time behind bars if they were not the parents of seven children.
Sentencing | Singer: six month prison term, suspended for two years.; 200 hours of unpaid work. Byrne: nine month prison term, suspended for two years; 300 hours of unpaid work. £350 costs each. FIVE-year ban (expires April 2029).
CONVICTED (2024) | Leah Mae O’Connor, born 23 June 1999, of Summerfield Road, Todmorden OL14 – left two dogs to starve to death in an abandoned property.
Leah O’Connor left two dogs to starve to death in a filthy house
Bulldog Doris and Rottweiler puppy Rox were left behind when single mother Leah O’Connor moved out of a house on Melrose Street, Halifax, in February 2023.
The RSPCA were alerted after the property’s landlord discovered the abandoned pets.
Emaciated bulldog, Doris, had eaten plastic in desperation for food. Tragically she didn’t survive after her condition deteriorated
In written evidence to the court, Inspector Demi Hodby said: “The property itself was full of faeces and urine.
“Where there wasn’t faeces there was rubbish and other hazards on the floor and it was difficult to move around.
“It smelt strongly of urine and faeces and it was difficult to stay inside.
“The smell caused my eyes and nose to burn.”
The remains of Rottweiler puppy Rox were found in this cage
There was a dog cage covered with a blue blanket in the house and inside was the body of Rox.
Inspector Hodby said: “There was no food or water inside the cage and it looked as though the dog had been trying for some time to get out.”
She added: “The dog itself was in an emaciated condition.
“One of its legs was poked through the cage and wrapped around the bars.
“It was absolutely heartbreaking to think what this dog has gone through leading up to its death.”
Doris was barely alive – emaciated, shivering, and lethargic, the court heard.
She was rushed for veterinary treatment and found to be severely dehydrated, covered in fleas, and had to be carried into the room because “she was too weak to stand”.
It was found she had eaten plastic to survive.
The bulldog was there for more than a week but her condition deteriorated and she had to be put down.
The court heard O’Connor had “spun a web of lies” to neighbours and family members, telling them Doris and Rox had been rehomed to someone on a farm.
She told Inspector Hodby in an interview she had done this after leaving the address and claimed someone must have broken in, as she was not aware the dogs were there.
O’Connor had concealed the dog’s suffering and the state of the property, which she wouldn’t allow anyone to enter, before finally leaving the house and abandoning the dogs to die inside.
In mitigation, the court was told O’Connor had been diagnosed with low maturity.
She also struggled with alcohol and drug issues – which she was getting help for – as well as depression and anxiety.
The magistrates were told that the “prolonged neglect” and abandonment of the dogs by their owner for a long period of time could not be regarded as anything other than “a deliberate act, perhaps short of sadistic behaviour”.
O’Connor pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and was ordered to undertake rehabilitation activities.
Speaking after the case, Inspector Hodby said: “The sight of Rox, who had wasted away in that filthy cage, unable to escape, is something that will stay with me, and those who discovered her, for a long time.
“Along with Doris, she’d endured unimaginable suffering over a prolonged period of time, having been abandoned and forgotten about.”
