Tag Archives: Rehabilitation Activity Requirement

Dogs, Lifers, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers

Wakefield, West Yorkshire: Craig Price

May 17, 2024 misanthropic 2 Comments

CONVICTED (2024) | Craig Anthony Price, born June 1990, currently of Lower Warrengate, Wakefield WF1 1SA but with strong links to Castleford and Pontefract – pinned a dog to the ground and hit him twice on the head with a shovel.

RSPCA prosecution of violent dog abuser Craig Price, from West Yorkshire, who was seen beating a dog with a shovel and stamping on his head

Price was seen dragging a bull mastiff called Moschino from his then home in Keswick Drive, Castleford, by the scruff of his neck before picking up a large metal-ended shovel and striking him twice on the head.

He then stamped on the dog’s head with his knee as his pet lay defenceless on the ground.

Eye witnesses reported the incident, which took place in the property’s back garden on 29 December 29, 2022, to the RSPCA.

Price was prosecuted by the animal charity and on February 26, 2024, was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to Moschino and a German Shepherd called Snowy.

The court heard how an RSPCA inspector, accompanied by a police officer, visited Price’s house to speak with him after witnesses described seeing him raise the shovel above his head and ‘whack’ Moschino with it and ‘stomp’ on the animal’s head with his knee.

The court heard how Price was initially calm, but instantly became irate on being questioned about the allegation.

In written evidence, the RSPCA officer said: “Mr Price instantly knew what I was talking about. He replied that he had taken the dog outside and shouted at him, but he denied that he had used any physical force. He said there was a shovel out there for picking up after the dogs – but again denied hitting them with it.”

Price then became verbally aggressive and refused to allow the RSPCA to take the dogs to a vet for examination. The pets were therefore seized by police and transported to an RSPCA hospital.

Moschino was found to be lame due to a soft tissue injury and was nervous and fearful when examined.

A vet who gave a written statement in the case said based on the eye witness accounts given to the RSPCA, his opinion was that Price had inflicted physical abuse for a period “of at least several minutes, possibly longer,” and had failed to protect Moschino from injury, pain and suffering.

The court also heard evidence from a clinical animal behaviourist who said Price hadn’t provided the dogs with a safe and predictable environment in which they did not experience anxiety, physical discomfort and helplessness.

The behaviourist said: “This suffering could have reasonably been avoided or reduced had Moschino not been hit and the dogs not been put into fear by the behaviour that they were exposed to.”

“He showed no retaliation, and at no point did his behaviour provoke the male to continue the abuse; there was no reason to cause the animal suffering, or for the suffering to continue for as long as it did as described.”

Price immediately lodged an appeal against his conviction.

The two dogs remain in the care of the RSPCA.

Sentencing | 12-month community order with 300 hours of unpaid work and 20 days of rehabilitation; £366 in costs and a victim surcharge of £114. Disqualified from keeping animals for life.

Wakefield Express

Additional Information

Price is a director of a flooring supply company called Price Carpets Ltd, though that appears to have ceased trading.

He formed a second company in October 2023 called A Brush Painting & Decorators.

Dogs, Equine Abuse, horse traders, horses and ponies, Multiple Species, Pet Profiteering, puppy farmers / traffickers, kennels, backyard breeders, Serial Animal Abusers, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers

Cwmann, Carmarthenshire: Evan Bevan

May 16, 2024 misanthropic 2 Comments

CONVICTED (2024) | backyard breeder and serial animal abuser Evan David Bevan, born October 1979, of Pyllau Crynion, Cwmann, Lampeter SA48 8EX – kicked a pony, hit one dog repeatedly with a stick and failed to treat a second dog’s ear injury.

RSPCA prosecution of Evan Bevan from Cwmann, near Lampeter, Wales, who was caught on camera beating a horse and a dog on separate occasions.

In videos provided anonymously to the RSPCA Bevan, director of Electech Electrics Limited trading as Electech Installations, was shown inflicting physical abuse on a pony known as Tony by kicking him, and beating a mastiff called Lily with a stick. He also failed to provide veterinary care for an ear injury suffered during a fight by German Shepherd Rosie.

Bevan, who was once a landlord for notorious breeders Andrew Bateman and Kelly Busby during the period they were churning out sick and dying puppies and selling them to unsuspecting buyers, pleaded not guilty to the cruelty charges but was convicted after a trial.

All of the offences took place at Bevan’s home address in Cwmann.

RSPCA deputy chief inspector (DCI) Gemma Cooper told the court she had attended the location seen in the videos with police officers and an animal health officer from Carmarthenshire Council. She recognised Evan Bevan as the male in the footage.

DCI Cooper said: “We asked if we could look at his dogs and he let out of a barn approximately 10 to 15 dogs who almost straight away started to fight amongst each other, one being bitten on her face and causing her to bleed,” she said.

“Evan Bevan stated it was all too much for him and he wasn’t going to breed anymore.

“I asked if he would like help with rehoming the dogs and he said that he only had two he wanted to rehome; a female bull mastiff called Lily and a female chocolate Labrador called Maggie.”

Bevan was asked where a German Shepherd dog called Rosie was and he said he had rehomed her with a rescue centre a couple of days earlier.

DCI Cooper later spoke with the rescue centre who confirmed that he had brought Rosie to them. She was suffering with an old injury to her right ear.

An independent expert veterinary report into the welfare of a group of dogs and a horse was provided to the court in which both videos were examined.

According to the vet, Bevan “kicks the pony with force to the left shoulder” in the first video clip.

The vet added: “The kick was forceful and clearly made contact with the pony that reacted adversely to the kick, indicating that the kick caused pain and hence suffering.” .

In relation to Rosie, who lost a significant portion of her right ear, it was said that “the injury will have caused the dog pain and suffering”.

She sustained the injury during the incident caught on the second video where Bevan was seen in a yard with a large group of dogs all off the lead and running freely around. He is seen swinging a stick in an attempt to hit the Jack Russell and ends up hitting another dog. A fight also erupts between the dogs.

The vet report states: “When Mr Bevan identifies what is going on he walks back across the yard and repeatedly hits the bull mastiff with his stick in an attempt to get the dog to loosen its hold of the German Shepherd dog.

“Mr Bevan persistently hits the dog before eventually getting hold of the mastiff and attempting to pull it free of the German Shepherd dog although he continues hitting at the dog with the stick.”

Bevan confirmed that Rosie’s ear injury occurred during the incident. He admitted that he did not seek veterinary attention but instead sprayed the ear with Engemycin spray.

Lily and Maggie, who were placed into RSPCA care, are now in loving new homes.

Rosie, who was in the care of another rescue, has also been rehomed.

Magistrates said they “did not find it necessary to make an order” to disqualify Bevan from keeping pets “after a long and careful consideration” because “the offences date back to 2022” and the number of animals in Bevan’s care “has significantly reduced” because he “is no longer breeding dogs or ponies.”

Magistrates ruled that “the risk to the future welfare of animals in the defendant’s care had significantly reduced.”

Sentencing | 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 24 months; 25-day rehabilitation requirement order; 200 hours of unpaid work; £1,000 in costs and a victim surcharge. No ban on keeping animals was imposed.

WalesOnline
Western Telegraph

Animal Abandonment, Dogs, Worst of the Worst

Kingston upon Hull / Scarborough, North Yorkshire: Jake Craven and Megan Findlay

May 15, 2024 misanthropic 2 Comments

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.

RSPCA prosecution of former couple Jake Craven now of Hull and Megan Findlay from Scarborough, North Yorkshire- neglected three dogs, with one starving 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.

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).

BBC News
DogsToday

Cats, Dogs, Hoarders, Multiple Species

Brierley Hill, Dudley, West Midlands: Stephanie Sinclaire

May 15, 2024 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2024) | Stephanie Sinclaire, born c. 1956, of Stour Hill, Brierley Hill DY5 – kept 13 sick and neglected pets inside her filthy home.

RSPCA prosecution of animal hoarder Stephanie Sinclaire from Brierley Hill, Dudley, West Midlands, who kept eight cats and five dogs in foul conditions and failed to feed them properly.

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.

Express & Star
BirminghamLive

Dogs, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers

Billingham, County Durham: Thomas Hardy

May 7, 2024 misanthropic 1 Comment

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.

Prosecution of violent dog abuser Thomas Hardy from Billingham, County Durham.

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.

Northern Echo
TeessideLive

Additional Information

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.

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.’

Daily Mail

Dogs, Pet Profiteering, puppy farmers / traffickers, kennels, backyard breeders

Newport, South Wales: Troy Bowyer and Sam Hudacek

May 4, 2024 misanthropic Leave a comment

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.

Prosecution of backyard extreme bully breeder Troy Bowyer and accomplice Sam Hudacek from Newport, Wales - who filmed themselves artificially inseminating a 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.

Wales Online

Additional Information

*alternative address for Troy Bowyer: 9 Ifton Place, Newport NP19 0HH.

Bowyer is a chef by possession and also a co-director of TJ’s Carvery & Grill based in Maindee, Newport.

Animal Abandonment, Dogs, Serial Animal Abusers

Batley, West Yorkshire: Michelle and Ethan Farrar

May 4, 2024 misanthropic 1 Comment

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.

RSPCA prosecution of mother and son Michelle Farrar and Ethan Farrar from Batley, West Yorkshire - for starvation and neglect of a dog in their care. — 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”.

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.

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).

BBC News
ITV News
YorkshireLive

Cats, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers, Worst of the Worst

Woodley, Greater Manchester: Richard Collier

May 4, 2024 misanthropic 1 Comment

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.

Prosecution of cat killer Richard Collier from Woodley, Stockport, Greater Manchester.

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.

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.

ITV News
Manchester Evening News

Animal Abandonment, Equine Abuse, Hoarders, horses and ponies, Lifers, Worst of the Worst

Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire: Dianne Pearson

May 2, 2024 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2024) | Dianne Pearson, born c. 1953, from Sowerby Bridge – for cruelty offences to 10 horses, many of whom were put to sleep.

RSPCA prosecution of Dianne Pearson from Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, for cruelty to 10 horses in her care.

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.

Horse & Hound

Dogs, Hoarders

Walsall, West Midlands: Kassie Benton

April 30, 2024 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2023) | Kasandra Benton, born September 1986, of Talke Road, Walsall WS5 4PH – neglected her injured and ailing dogs’ needs.

RSPCA prosecution of Walsall woman Kassie Benton who failed to treat her dogs' injuries

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.

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CONVICTED (2023) | Kasandra Benton, born September 1986, of Talke Road, Walsall WS5 4PH – neglected her injured and ailing dogs’ needs.

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