CONVICTED (2009) | Jeanette Smith, born 20/11/1961, of Kempthorne Road, Bilston WV14 7AL – kept four emaciated Staffies in appalling conditions in her back garden
Jeannette Smith was banned from keeping animals for life after admitting nine counts of causing unnecessary suffering to her pets.
Smith, who was given a 10-year ban on keeping animals in 1990 after a previous cruelty case, also admitted failing in her duty of care to the animals by not providing a suitable environment for them.
The court heard how the four dogs were discovered in an emaciated state suffering from skin and ear conditions.
RSPCA inspector Jayne Bashford visited Smith’s home in April 2009 where she found dogs Zena, Princess, Ellie and Roly perched on top of a makeshift shelf.
Nick Sutton, prosecuting, told the court yesterday it was totally inadequate for any protection from the weather, and that Smith had failed to feed the dogs properly or take them to the vets.
He added: “It was perfectly clear to see these animals were extremely emaciated and very sick, with obvious skin complaints.
“There was no food and no water an officer described the ground as being littered with faeces and said there was no clean place for those dogs to stand anywhere.”
A vet gave all four dogs, of the brindle variety, scores of 1.5 or under on a scale, where one indicates a dangerously thin dog and five indicates obesity.
The court also heard how RSPCA inspectors had visited the property in the past, issuing an order to boost Zena’s weight.
A follow-up visit revealed that the dog had gained some weight, and Ms Bashford left her contact details at the RSPCA, telling Smith to call her if there were any more problems.
Hockham Singh Suthi, defending Smith, said the single mother accepted she should have called Ms Bashford, adding that she had struggled with the cost of keeping the dogs.
“She fully accepts the dogs were not in a very good condition,” he said.
The court heard that Roly, Zena and Ellie have been found new homes, while Princess had to be put down due to a heart condition.
Sentencing: four-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. Lifetime ban on keeping animals.
