CONVICTED (2018) | Shaun Garrett, born 7 February 1967, and Kirsty Emma Spalding, born 2 July 1987, of Harry Chamberlain Court, Hollingsworth Road, Lowestoft NR32 4UG – left a cat and dog to suffer a variety of ailments including a broken leg
Shaun Garrett and step-daughter Kirsty Spalding failed to provide veterinary care for their cat’s broken leg, the cause of which wasn’t given, and their dog’s painful skin condition.
The court heard that the pair, then of Florence Terrace, Lowestoft, caused unnecessary suffering to the animals by not providing treatment between July and September 2017.
Gizzy, a white male tabby, was found to have a fracture of his hind left leg and a subsequent bone infection.
Gizzy and their elderly labrador had a flea infestation and an associated chronic skin disease.
The pair signed over the animals to the RSPCA and they went on to make a reasonable recovery.
Neither Garrett or Spalding appeared for sentencing in Great Yarmouth Magistrates, but both previously said they could not afford veterinary fees.
Sentencing: two-year conditional discharge; total of £95 costs and charges. Ten-year ban on keeping animals (expires June 2028).
CONVICTED (2018) | Christine ‘Tina’ Elizabeth Howarth, born 31 October 1956, of Plantation Street, Accrington BB5 – pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
She was ordered to pay £300 costs and disqualified from keeping dogs for 12 months (expired June 2019).
CONVICTED (2018) | Mark A Bustard, born c. 1967, and wife Carolynne L Bustard, born 15 April 1966, of Westfield Road, Heckmondwike WF16 9HJ – neglected 26 rabbits and kept them in tiny, filthy hutches.
Mark and Carolynne Bustard – who also had 20 cats and some fish – pleaded guilty to two charges of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and one charge of failing to ensure a suitable environment was provided.
The Bustards kept the rabbits in tiny filthy outdoor hutches.
The rabbits were left in filthy hutches at the couple’s home with little food and water.
The pair were visited numerous times by RSPCA inspectors but refused their offers to rehome them.
They argued that they cared deeply for the pets, all of which were rescue animals, and had their best interests at heart.
Peter Davidson, prosecuting on behalf of the animal welfare charity, told Kirklees magistrates that the couple were first visited by an RSPCA inspector on October 24, 2017.
She visited to give advice about a kitten that needed veterinary treatment but found a significant number of rabbits in dirty hutches with only a few of the pets being given food and water.
The inspector gave advice to improve the living conditions for the rabbits and even offered to rehome them but this was rejected by the couple.
She revisited on November 24, 2017, and found that most of the rabbits still didn’t have access to food or water.
Some of the hutches were recently cleaned out but the others were still dirty.
Then on December 9, 2017, another visit was carried out and two rabbits were found in an extremely poor condition.
Mr Davidson said: “One was in an emaciated condition and lethargic and the other rabbit had died, that rabbit also described as being in an emaciated condition.
“Police attended and the two rabbits were seized. The living rabbit was examined by a vet who advised euthanasia due to its poor condition. However, the rabbit died before authority could be obtained for that.”
A follow-up visit on December 15, 2017, showed that the hutches had been cleaned, magistrates were told.
The RSPCA has since seized all of the rabbits except 14 and they have been successfully rehomed by the charity.
One of the rabbits, named Peter, was examined by a vet and suffered significant dental problems because of his neglect with “it’s teeth digging into its tongue”, Mr Davidson said.
He added: “The two rabbits that died both suffered due to their poor body conditions for two weeks.”
Andy Day, mitigating, said that all of the rabbits had been rescued by the couple after either being left at their house or abandoned at a local pet shop.
He said: “They haven’t been able to say ‘no’ and have become overwhelmed with the number of animals that have gradually built up.
“They are not callous or cruel people and have taken care of these animals as best they could.
“They’re very upset and sorry that this situation has arisen and they now realise that they had far too many animals.”
Sentencing: total of £320 costs and charges each; two year ban on keeping rabbits (expired June 2020).
