Equine Abuse, horse traders, horses and ponies, Lifers, Traveller Animal Crimes

Ipswich, Suffolk: Gussie Lee

August 8, 2017 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2017) | Gussie (or Gussy) Lee, born c. 1956, of Woodland Way, Ipswich IP1 5PE – caused suffering to a large group of horses based in Paper Mill Lane in north Ipswich

Gypsy Gussie Lee from Ipswich is banned from keeping animals after causing suffering to a large group of horses — Gypsy Gussie Lee is banned from keeping animals after causing suffering to a large group of horses

Gussie Lee was banned from keeping animals after horses he owned were found hungry, dehydrated and diseased.

Lee pleaded guilty to failing to meet the needs of 10 horses and causing unnecessary suffering to six of them.

RSPCA inspectors visited the horses in Paper Mill Lane, north Ipswich, after concerns were raised about their condition.

Gypsy Gussie Lee is banned from keeping animals after causing suffering to a large group of horses

Prosecuting, Hugh Rowland, said that on January 5, 2017, five horses were found “very underweight” and Lee was issued with a warning notice, requiring him to ensure the animals were fed and wormed and to call a vet if their condition deteriorated further.

Returning on January 12 with a vet, Mr Rowlnad said the horses’ condition was found to have worsened. Blood tests found some of the horses were suffering liver disease from eating a toxic plant.

The horses were found with matted hair, ingrown hooves, lice infestations and some were suffering from anaemia or dehydration. They were seized by police, handed over to the RSPCA and taken to a horse sanctuary.

Mr Rowland said the vet “was of the view” it would have taken more than four weeks for the worst affected to reach that state.

In mitigation, David Allan, defending, said Lee had expressed “genuine shame” about what had happened. He said Lee was in ill health, having suffered several heart attacks. Most significantly, Mr Allan said, he had been affected by the “extremely fraught” situation that followed two killings on West Meadows travellers’ site.

Chairman of the magistrates’ bench, Anne Tyler, said the offences fell into the category of “high culpability”. “It’s so serious that only custodial options are appropriate,” she added.

The RSPCA said the horses had since undergone an “amazing transformation” thanks to the RSPCA and Redwings Horse Sanctuary.

Sentencing: 16-week custodial sentence suspended for 24 months for causing unnecessary suffering to six horses and 12 weeks suspended for two years for failing to meet the needs of 10 horses, to run concurrently. He was ordered to pay £500 costs and £115 victim surcharge to be taken from his benefits. He was also banned from keeping animals and told he could not appeal for 10 years.

EADT
Redwings

Dogs

Ferndown, Dorset: Nick Hawkes

August 6, 2017 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2017) | Nicholas Paul Hawkes, born 16/09/1975, of Medway Road, Ferndown BH22 8UR – failed to treat his elderly shih-tzu’s painful eye condition

Nicholas Hawkes failed to take 12-year-old Gilly to the vet for treatment for a painful eye condition. The little dog was also suffering from untreated diabetes.

Father-of-four Nicholas Hawkes failed to provide veterinary care for 12-year-old Gilly’s painful eye condition, which was discovered by a dog groomer who contacted the RSPCA.

The little dog was diagnosed with diabetes, which had been left untreated, and ultimately had to have one eye removed, while the other remains blind.

RSPCA Inspector Patrick Bailey looked after Gilly while she received veterinary treatment, and grew so attached he adopted her.

Shih-Tzu Gilly lost an eye due to her owner Nick Hawkes' neglect — Gilly now lives happily with the RSPCA inspector who rescued her

He said: “The groomer had already expressed a concern to the family that the dog appeared to be losing weight on a previous visit, suggesting they get her checked by the vet.

“On this visit, the groomer was upset to find the dog was now extremely thin. She had some general matting to the fur on her body and legs but significant matting to each eyeball and both were covered in a black, crusty substance.

“She described them as looking like pirate patches and that it was impossible to see the eyeball through the matting.

“She gently and carefully removed the crusting and found each eyeball to have ulcerated. She refused to give the dog back to the family and rushed it to a local vet and contacted the RSPCA.”

He said Gilly had been “extremely underweight” with bones prominent under her skin.

“The vet who examined Gilly diagnosed diabetes which had gone untreated, causing her to lose body condition and lose her vision,” he said.

Mr Bailey said Hawkes, when interviewed, had expressed a preference for trying “home remedies” rather than taking Gilly to the vet. These apparently included bathing the dog’s eyes in saline solution and applying apple cider vinegar to the back of her neck and her drinking water.

“He said he did not try to trim away the matted fur from the eyes through fear of injuring the dog and said that was why he’d taken her to the professional groomer,” said Mr Bailey.

“He said he did not think the dog was losing weight, nor did he think she was underweight.”

The inspector said Gilly has made a good recovery from her illness.

He added: “She enjoys her daily walks and trots along confidently.”

Sentencing: 100 hours of unpaid work and 10 days of rehabilitation; £500 costs. Banned from keeping animals for five years (expired August 2022).

Daily Echo

Cats, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers

Albert Village, Leicestershire: Andrew Hogg

August 5, 2017 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2017) | Andrew Hogg, born c. 1967, most recent known address School Close, Albert Village, Swadlincote DE11 8FD and previously of Linton, Derbyshire – hit a cat on the head during a violent rampage

Violent career criminal Andrew Hogg from Swadlincote adds animal abuse to his long list of convictions — Andrew Hogg adds animal abuse to his long list of criminal convictions

Notorious local hellraiser Hogg admitted a series of offences, which included causing unnecessary suffering to the unnamed cat. The extent of the cat’s injuries was not reported.

Hogg also pleaded guilty to damaging a mobile phone worth £245 belonging to a man at an address in Chestnut Avenue.

He also admitted using threatening or abusive words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby on the same day.

A restraining order made against Hogg and he has been told to stay away from three named people and not to go to an address in Chestnut Avenue, Midway, for 12 months.

He was also fined £80, and ordered to pay £245 compensation, £85 court costs and a £30 victim surcharge. He was not banned from keeping animals.

StaffordshireLive

Cats

Kingston upon Hull: Alister Bidwell and Schelby Leyland

August 4, 2017 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2017) | Alister Bidwell, born 01/12/1996, and Schelby Keyland, born 21/01/1996, both of Woolwich Drive, west Hull HU4 7DT – for cruelty towards four cats.

Animal abusers Schelby Keyland and Alister Bidwell of Hull, UK.

Bidwell and partner Keyland, who are parents, caused unnecessary suffering to two cats, named Socks and Donna, by failing to address their poor condition.

They also failed to provide a suitable living environment for four cats – Socks, Donna, Cadbury and Toby.

Finally, they did not provide a suitable diet for Toby and Cadbury.

Sentencing: eight-week prison sentences, suspended for 12 months. He must pay £150 costs and a £115 surcharge; she must pay a £115 surcharge. Both were banned from keeping animals for ten years.

HullLive

Dogs

Dunfermline: Mandy Hunter and Tony Paton

August 4, 2017 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2017) | Amanda Hunter and Anthony Paton both of Macbeth Road, Dunfermline KY11 4EE – left their dog Rocco to suffer with multiple ailments including a hole on the side of his face caused by infection

Dog abusers Mandy Hunter and Tony Paton from Dunfermline — Mandy Hunter and Tony Paton left their dog Rocco to suffer in agony.

Hunter and Paton admitted causing their pet unnecessary suffering between July 15 and September 2, 2016.

Depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf told the court the Scottish SPCA received a report about the condition of Rocco.

The dog was being neglected and had an ear infection which was not being treated, leading to the skin opening up so the jaw was visible.

Paton told them the dog had been taken to a vet at end August 2016. They had been told by the vet that the dog should be put down but this was not done.

“It had a gaping and weeping hole on the side of its face,” said the depute.

The dog was removed from the house and the pair were told they were going to be charged.

Rocco’s weight was 24.8 kg when it should have been 30 to 35 kg. He also had a flea infestation and was suffering from hair loss.

Rocco was euthanised because of his condition. The SSPCA had noted that there were other animals in the house including a dog, rabbits and frogs.

Sentence: not reported but a motion to ban the couple from keeping animals for two years was denied by the court after opposition from their solicitors.

The Courier

Animal Abandonment, Equine Abuse, horses and ponies

Letterston, Haverfordwest: Eric Symmons

August 2, 2017 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2017) | Eric Gwilym Symmons, born c. 1954, of Station Road, Letterston, Haverfordwest SA62 – for his shocking neglect of three Shetland ponies

One of the three Shetland ponies severely neglected by Eric Symmons from Dyfed, Wales, UK — One of the three Shetland ponies severely neglected by Eric Symmons

Symmons admitted that his failure to act caused the ponies to suffer unnecessarily.

The weight of one of the ponies was judged to be 141kg – more than 100kg below the average expected weight for a Shetland of her height.

All three animals were subsequently taken into RSPCA Cymru care, before being successfully re-homed by the charity.

“We found three Shetlands at this property seriously impeded by overgrown hooves and hidden from view,” said RSPCA inspector Keith Hogben.

“The suffering they endured is likely to have lasted many months.

Put simply – there’s no excuse for this sort of shocking neglect.

“A straightforward five-minute phone call to a farrier could have prevented these Shetland ponies from experiencing the pain and suffering of such dangerously overgrown hooves.

“This was long-term and completely unnecessary neglect, with one of the ponies also lame with a very poor physical body condition and the RSPCA is steadfast in its commitment to acting against such animal cruelty”.

Sentencing: ordered to pay a total of £888. No ban.

Horse & Hound

Animal Abandonment, Dogs

Clowne, Derbyshire: James Silvers

August 2, 2017 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2017) | James Silvers, born c. 1996, formerly of Hickinwood Crescent, Clowne, Chesterfield S43 4AQ, and more recently living in the Glenside area of Kirkby-in-Ashfield – left his dogs locked in crates for several days while he went away

James Silver from Clowne in Derbyshire left his two dogs in 'prison cells' for days without food or water

James Silvers pleaded guilty to two offences of failing to meet the needs of bull terriers Lola and Blue, whom he had kept locked in “prison cells” without food or water.

James Silvers' dogs iived in '˜prison cell' crates without food and water for four days while he went away — James Silvers’ dogs iived in ‘˜prison cell’ crates without food and water for four days while he went away

The RSPCA was alerted to the dogs by a concerned member of the public and an inspector went to the property in New Street, Pilsley, with the police.

Inspector Rachel Leafe said: “There were two crates, one on top of the other, with one dog in each. These weren’t big crates either – they were big enough for them to stand up, but that was all. There was no food or water in the crates, just empty bowls which were bone dry, and they just had rags sodden with urine to lie on. There was also faeces around the edges of the crates.

“It is horrific to think that they had to live in these conditions. It was as though both dogs were living in their own little prison cells.”

After being rescued, both dogs were cared for by the RSPCA. Staffordshire bull terrier Lola was rehomed but Blue wasn’t so lucky. A police dog legislation officer identified him as a banned breed under Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act and, as a result, he was put to sleep.

Inspector Leafe said: “This is a very sad ending as we were hoping to see Blue into a new home. The RSPCA do not make these decisions. We do not agree with Breed Specific Legislation and have been campaigning for changes for some time.”

Sentencing: nine-month community order; total of £205 fine and charges. Five-year ban on keeping animals (expired August 2022).

DerbyshireLive
ITV News

UK Animal Cruelty Files

Monthly Archives: August 2017