Monthly Archives: November 2021

Animal Abandonment, Cats, Dogs, Multiple Species

Livingston, West Lothian: Kirsty McNeil

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#MostEvil | Kirsty M McNeil, born 13 May 1981, previously of Nelson Avenue, Livingston EH54 6BY – neglected several animals with the emaciated remains of a dog found in her freezer.

Kirsty McNeil was found to have kept the remains of a dog named Cooper after he had slowly been starved to death.

The mother-of-three had admitted to causing the pet unnecessary suffering by failing to provide him with appropriate care and treatment.

During an earlier hearing, McNeill was banned from keeping any kind of animal for a period of five years.

McNeil was also found to have mistreated two other dogs and cats that she kept at her home.

After initially being given a structured deferred sentence in August 2021, Ms McNeil was given a second nine-month sentencing deferral in November 2021.

The decision was said to be to enable her to take full advantage of the help and support being offered to her by social work and other agencies.

Adjourning the case until 18 August 2022 for McNeil – who was not in court – to be of good behaviour, Sheriff Jane Farquharson commented: “I take full account of the significant efforts she’s made herself.

“Nine months gives her the opportunity to do what she needs, but gives her the security that the court is keeping an eye on things to ensure that she’s maintaining her progress.”

Glenn Fraser, defending, told Livingston Sheriff Court that his client’s mental health had been “extremely poor” at the time of the offence and she hadn’t been looking after herself or anyone else.

He said she had “grasped the help she is now receiving with both hands” and was making every effort to deal with ongoing issues in her life.

He said: “The charges are serious charges. If the help she’s got now had been available at the time, perhaps we wouldn’t be here now.”

Mr Fraser told the earlier hearing that his client had not ill-treated her pets because of deliberate cruelty.

He said: “This happened because she wasn’t coping at the time. She just went into a downward spiral.”

The case came to light on 24 November 2019 after an anonymous caller told the Scottish SPCA that two cats at McNeil’s then home in Nelson Avenue, Livingston, were not being attended to.

SSPCA inspectors found the floor of McNeil’s home covered in dog faeces and a strong smell of urine in the flat.

Cooper, whose body had initially been stored in the drawer of a broken freezer, was found in a shallow grave in the garden.

His fur was so matted that inspectors couldn’t identify what breed the dog was.

The dead animal had not been exercised or cared for properly for so long that his claws curved underneath the pads on his feet and there were clumps of faecal matter on his hindquarters.

Yorkshire terrier Max was very thin with a matted coat.
Yorkshire terrier Max was very thin with a matted coat.

Two other dogs – a cross-breed called Benji and a Yorkshire terrier named Max – had similarly overgrown nails through lack of exercise.

Sharply pronged carpet gripper was exposed around the edges of the faeces-covered carpet in one room and there was clear evidence that the animals had chewed and scratched the door frame in a desperate bid to escape.

The pets which were still alive were rescued and taken away in an SSPCA van. Cooper’s body was disposed of after a vet carried out a post mortem examination to establish the cause of death, which was organ failure caused by malnutrition.

McNeil pleaded guilty to failing to feed Cooper properly whereby he became emaciated with a matted coat, overgrown claws and faecal and urine staining on his fur.

She also pleaded guilty to failing to take reasonable steps to meet the needs of her two other dogs and two cats between the same dates, 24 September and 24 November 2019, by failing to give the pets suitable food and water and adequate exercise which would have allowed them to exhibit normal behaviour patterns.

In addition, she admitted neglecting her mother Agnes Woodside, for whom she was carer, and other individuals by failing (presumably her children) to provide them with adequate food and clothing.

Scottish SPCA inspector Fiona Thorburn said inspectors who visited the property had found Max, a Yorkshire terrier, who was very thin with a matted coat, and Benji, a small crossbreed, who seemed to be in fair condition with mild matting.

“Max was kept by the vet for treatment and the other animals were taken to an animal rescue and rehoming centre where they received the care and rehabilitation they needed.

“The suffering McNeil directly caused Max and Cooper by failing to provide food and the most basic of care was entirely avoidable.”

Sentencing: deferred until 18 August 2022. Five-year ban imposed (expires August 2026).

Edinburgh Live
Daily Record

Animal Abandonment, Dogs

Kingston Upon Hull: Chantelle Bigby and Lester Varley-Wade

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CONVICTED (2021) | Chantelle Bigby aka Chantelle Coleman, born c. 1997, of 14th Avenue, Hull HU6 9LJ and Lester Varley-Wade, born c. 2001, of Terry Street, Hull HU3 1UD – left their starving dog locked in a house for so long, he began eating jeans and cans to survive.

Chantelle Bigby and Lester Varley-Wade, who are parents, had abandoned their dog Etsio at an address registered to Bigby while they had some ‘alone time’ at a different house.

RSPCA officers made multiple visits to the address in January 2020 after receiving reports for a concerned member of the public and managed to feed the animal through the letterbox.

Through their investigation they were able to ascertain that black and tan male cross breed Etsio had been neglected by the couple for at least six days, the animal was said to be emaciated with his ribs and bone structure protruding through his skin.

Officers found that the dog’s faeces was full of denim and discovered chewed cans littered around the property, which the distressed animal had eaten in desperation.

Bigby and Varley-Wade were previously found guilty in their absence after failing to appear at an earlier trial date.

They were sentenced separately in court, with the facts of the case being presented during Bigby’s appearance and then only touched on briefly during that of Varley-Wade.

The court heard that the RSPCA made multiple visits to the address after receiving a call from a concerned member of the public on January 17, 2020.

Officers used tape placed on entrances and letters affixed to the door of the property to see if anyone had entered the house, they executed a warrant to enter the property to assess the conditions and found Etsio living in misery.

Mr Brown representing the RSPCA said: “The rooms were cluttered with all sorts of hazardous items including cans which showed evidence of being chewed.

“There was a large amount of fecal matter throughout the property including clusters in the kitchen, these showed evidence of having amounts of denim in them possibly from the piles of clothes left around the rooms.

“The way that the animal tackled the food that was given to it after examination by a veterinary surgeon suggested that it was at the point of starvation.

“Etsio had defecated in the officer’s car on the way to the vet and the significance of this was that examination revealed the majority of the fecal matter at that point was denim.”

Officers continued to monitor that address and it wasn’t until January 27 that they found evidence that there had been an entry to the property.

It was Chantelle Bigby who presented herself as the occupant and was told by officers that she was under investigation for her neglect of Etsio.

In an interview she claimed that she had arranged with a friend to look after the dog during the time that she was away but was unable to provide contact details for that friend as she had subsequently fallen out with her.

During Varley-Wade’s sentencing, Mr Brown told the court: “The dog had been left at the address because he couldn’t be taken to Mr Varley-Wade’s accommodation.

“He claimed that they left the dog alone when they needed some peace and quiet and alone time and said that it was never more than two days.”

Sentencing:
Bigby – 12-month community order with 20 day rehabilitation activity requirement; costs of £260. 10-year ban (expires November 2031).
Varley-Wade – 12 month community order with 15 days of rehabilitation activity; costs of £260. Five-year ban (expires November 2026).

Hull Daily Mail

Equine Abuse, horses and ponies, riding stables, stud farms and livery yards

Yelverton, Devon: Barry Searle

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CONVICTED (2021) | Barry George Searle, born c. 1943, of Riverslea, Clearbrook, Yelverton PL20 6JB – badly neglected his two ponies – one of which needed an eye removed.

Tinkerbell lost an eye after she was neglected by her owner (Image: RSPCA)
Tinkerbell lost an eye after she was neglected by her owner (Image: RSPCA)

Pensioner Barry Searle was given a suspended prison sentence for failing to tackle infection, trim hooves and treat fleas and lice on his two ponies

Former riding stables/livery yard owner Searle failed to have horses Tinkerbell and Fudge treated by a vet over several months despite their obvious suffering.

Tinkerbell had an infected eye and four overgrown hooves which left her lame.

Fudge also needed hoof-trimming and both animals were infested with lice and fleas.

Searle admitted one count of causing unnecessary suffering and one of failing to meet the needs of the two mares.

The RSPCA said after the case that its inspector Claire Ryder worked with animal welfare charity Mare and Foal Sanctuary in May 2021.
She was joined by police when she attended the field where Seale kept his horses.

Insp Ryder said: “Tinkerbell came up to us and I noticed there were flies around her eyes. You could not see the left eye and the hole appeared infected. She also had overgrown hooves and was lame.

“It was also clear that Fudge and Tinkerbell’s feet were in need of attention.”

She shared pictures and video footage with a specialist equine vet and the horses were seized by police.

A vet then examined the ponies at a stable.

The vet discovered that Tinkerbell’s right eye, which was later surgically removed, was shrunken into the orbit, leaving her with swollen eyelids and a discharge.

The RSPCA said she was also lame with all four hooves overgrown, suggesting a lack of farrier attention for several months.

Fudge also needed hoof trimming and both horses were found to need treatment for lice and fleas.

Inspector Ryder, commenting after the sentencing, said: “While this was not caused by deliberate harm, this was prolonged neglect which resulted in suffering for Tinkerbell.

“Owners of animals have a duty to provide them with appropriate care and treatment. Mr Seale was aware of the concerns and had numerous offers of support to improve welfare but instead chose to ignore their plight.”

Both horses are now doing well in RSPCA foster care after recovering and receiving the treatment they needed.

Sentencing: nine-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, ordered to pay £600 prosecution costs and £128 victim surcharge.

Plymouth Live

Dogs, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers

Penrith, Cumbria: Nathan Williams

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CONVICTED (2021) | Nathan Robert Williams, born 27 October 1990, of 62 Tulip Gardens, Penrith CA11 8BY – subjected his pet dog to a ‘vicious attack’ which involved him repeatedly punching and kicking the terrified animal and ‘slamming’ him into the ground.

Convicted animal abuser Nathan Williams pictured outside court, and Loki, the dog he viciously attacked
Nathan Williams and Loki, his innocent victim.

Williams originally denied causing his dog Loki unnecessary suffering. But shortly before his trial started he changed his plea to guilty.

Steven Marsh, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said witnesses who were in the area gave detailed descriptions of what they saw.

The defendant arrived at 7am in a van at a layby in Old Tebay to meet four colleagues before going on to their day’s forestry work.

But the dog – inside one of the vans with Williams – defecated on a packed lunch belonging to one of the men.

“This caused a reaction from the defendant,” said Mr Marsh.

Within seconds, Williams grabbed Loki by his neck and back legs and threw him out of the van window on to the grass verge. He then got out of the van and punched the dog’s face as he whimpered, clearly scared.

Another witness saw Williams chase the dog down a nearby lane to a river. She saw him crouching over the dog, punching four or five times before then dragging the dog along the lane by his neck and kicking him three or four times to the body.

As the dog was cowered, too afraid to walk, he picked him up and ‘slammed’ him to the ground, said Mr Marsh. With the dog still unwilling to walk, he again picked him up and slammed him down a second time as Williams swore at him.

Williams went on to do this a third time.

He also kicked Loki again.

When a vet inspected the dog four days later, there were no visible injuries.

“This was a sustained and vicious attack,” said Mr Marsh. “The dog was kicked three separate times; lifted and thrown three times; and on the journey back from the river punched twice. It was a deliberate attempt to cause suffering.

“There’s no justification for punishing a dog and beating it in that way.”

Williams told a probation worker he was angry with the dog for running away but he now felt remorse. His defence lawyer Harry Crowson said: “It was a momentary loss of control.”

After the case, RSPCA investigator Chris Towler said the defendant’s dog – while not suffering any lasting injury – will have suffered distress during the attack.

He paid tribute to the witnessess, whose evidence had allowed the charity to bring the prosecution. “Despite the emotions and the difficulties, they provided the evidence we needed and without that evidence the case would not have come to court.”

Loki will now be released from foster care and rehomed.

The costs of bringing the case – quoted in court at around £4,000 – were so high because both the defence and the prosecution had to instruct experts, though they were eventually not needed.

Sentencing: 12-month community order, with 180 hours of unpaid work; £2,000 towards costs. Banned from keeping animals for just five years (expires November 2026). Deprivation order for Loki.

News and Star
ITV News

Animal Abandonment, Dogs

Fleetwood, Lancashire: Stephen Hopkinson

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CONVICTED (2021) | Stephen J Hopkinson, born 1 November 1983 , of 19 Southwood Avenue, Fleetwood FY7 7ET – failed to treat his dogs’ health conditions and abandoned them outside a supermarket.


Hopkinson, who has a previous conviction for assaulting his infirm mother, was banned indefinitely from keeping dogs after leaving his two poorly pets in pain.

One dog, Mylo, was left to with an untreated painful skin disease for months. He also had bleeding on his legs, feet, stomach, chest and genital area, pinkness around his eyes and nose and was suffering from ‘obvious fur loss’.

Another dog – a female chihuahua called Lily – had untreated dental disease.

Both dogs were rescued by a member of the public after she found them tied up outside a supermarket.

Hopkinson told RSPCA inspectors that he had returned to the supermarket to get the dogs the next morning.

This meant the dogs would have been outside the store for nearly 24 hours had they not been rescued.

RSPCA Inspector Amy McIntosh said she immediately noticed that Mylo’s skin was thickened, pink, flaky, scabby. He was also biting and scratching at his skin and it was obviously irritating him.

Lilly had very smelly breath but otherwise looked in normal body condition.

Inspector McIntosh took the dogs to a vet who examined them and prescribed Mylo with flea and skin treatments and a shampoo to help fight the infection in his skin.

The vet concluded Mylo had been suffering from his skin disease for at least three to six months.

Lilly needed an urgent dental procedure to remove loose teeth caused by her dental disease.

Both dogs were microchipped which identified Hopkinson as their owner.

Following a trial at Lancaster Magistrates Court, Hopkinson was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering and failing to treat their needs by leaving them unattended for an extended period without adequate care and supervision.

The dogs who have made good recoveries whilst in RSPCA care will be made available for rehoming after the 21-day appeal period has passed.

Sentencing: 16-week curfew; ordered to pay £595 in costs and charges. Indefinite ban on keeping dogs but can appeal after five years.

Lancs Live

Update 31 March 2022

Lancs Live reported that Hopkinson was sentenced to four weeks in jail after he lost his appeal against convictions for animal cruelty.

His indefinite ban from keeping dogs was reduced to five years which he can not appeal before 12 months and his £500 costs from the magistrates hearing was upheld.

He was also ordered to pay a £96 victim surcharge and a deprivation order was passed for both dogs which will allow the RSPCA to find them a new home.

Dogs, Lifers, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers

Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire: James Wright-King and Jasmine Smith

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#MostEvil | James Wright-King (aka James King), born 27 October 1997, of 28 Darwen Court, Hemlington, Middlesbrough TS8 9JF – inflicted multiple injuries on a puppy on separate occasions and eventually killed her. Girlfriend Jasmine Lee Smith, born 15 September 2001, of Raydale, Hemlington, Middlesbrough TS8 9SB failed to get treatment for the badly injured puppy.

Jasmine Smith and James King are both accused of animal cruelty in relation to a pug puppy that had suffered multiple unexplained injuries.
Jasmine Smith and James King were convicted of animal cruelty in relation to a pug puppy that had suffered multiple unexplained injuries.

James Wright-King was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to the seven-month-old pug puppy, known as Ruby.

His partner Jasmine Lee Smith, 20, was found guilty on two counts. Magistrates accepted she was not involved in the incidents but was found guilty of failing to provide a safe environment and failing to get vet treatment for the dog.

The court heard how the puppy endured multiple injuries before eventually dying. These included burns to her back, a broken femur, broken pelvis, numerous broken ribs on both sides, broken jaw on both sides, broken bones in her neck, a severely fractured skull and a lacerated tongue.

Victim Ruby

The court heard how the puppy’s recently deceased body was taken to a vets in Middlesbrough on November 17, 2020, by Wright-King.

He told the vet he had fallen on top of her while playing and heard her neck snap, the RSPCA reported.

But as the injuries were suspicious the dog’s plight was reported to the RSPCA, and inspector Krissy Raine was sent to investigate.

She was told Ruby was dead on arrival at the vets but must have died very recently as she was still warm.

Due to their concerns about the injuries they gave Ruby’s body an X-ray and she was found to have fractures to her neck, pelvis, femur and three ribs.

She also had a very deeply lacerated tongue which had been badly bleeding.

Krissy was told Ruby had also been seen by the vet in the past for lameness and a burn or scald injury.

An independent veterinary expert reviewed the injuries to Ruby as part of the RSPCA investigation and said up until her death she had been presented at different vets on a number of occasions.

In his conclusion he stated that he believed Ruby had been subjected to three blunt force traumas in her short life.

She also suffered a severe large burn injury on her back on August 24 which the defendant claimed was caused by an allergic reaction to soap.

However, the expert said he believed it had been caused by bleach being scrubbed along her back.

In a statement, the expert vet said: “Ruby was caused to suffer extreme pain and distress as a consequence of the multiple fractures and soft tissue injuries that she sustained as a result of at least three very violent blunt force traumas as well as the severe burns that were in my expert opinion also deliberately inflicted by Mr Wright-King.

“There is a reasonable question in relation to the final incident as to whether Ruby did suffer as a result of the skull fractures as the injury to the brain and spinal cord was so severe it is certainly possible and in fact likely that she was rendered instantly unconscious.”

Throughout interviews and the court case Wright-King denied causing any harm to the dog and when told by the RSPCA inspector that he would have to be interviewed under caution he said: ‘‘You’re joking, Ruby was like our child.”

Wright-King and girlfriend Jasmine Lee Smith had pleaded not guilty to the charges, claiming the injuries were accidental, but were convicted on all charges.

Smith was also convicted two offences of failing to follow veterinary advice concerning the leg injury and failing to provide a safe environment for the puppy.

King and Smith pictured outside court
King and Smith pictured outside court

Neil Douglas, mitigating for Smith and Wright-King, said they are in “very different positions”.

Mr Douglas said Smith had “some culpability” for the puppy but as she lived elsewhere “couldn’t be responsible for the animal as she wasn’t there all of the time”.

He told the court: “She is shaken to the core by this experience. She thought the dog was reasonably well cared for.”

Mr Douglas described Smith as a “law-abiding person” who works two jobs, one of which is at a golf club: “She is a normal 20-year-old caught up in something she would say she wasn’t aware of.”

Mr Douglas described Wright-King as well educated, but with an “awful upbringing” living in foster care during his teenage years. He told the court: “Nothing can justify what he did. He is someone who clearly shouldn’t be in charge of animals.”

Mr Douglas also asked for any prison sentence to be suspended as Wright-King was due to start working 12-hour shifts on the production line at SK Foods.

Following lengthy deliberations, the magistrates’ bench returned their verdicts, with the chair describing the case as one of the “most serious animal cruelty cases we have came across”.

Speaking after the sentencing hearing, RSPCA inspector Raine said: “Ruby was a young pup who was only two months old when the defendants acquired her and during the next five months she suffered multiple injuries. It’s so hard to comprehend the pain she went through.

“I found it a deeply upsetting case to investigate and the magistrates said in sentencing that they were horrified.”

Sentencing:
Wright-King – jailed for six months; £728 in fees and charges. Banned from owning animals for life with no right of appeal for 25 years.

Smith – 18-month community order, 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days; 150 hours of unpaid work; £695 in fees and charges.
10-year ban on keeping animals which cannot be appealed for five years.

The Sun
Teesside Live

Dogs

Crewe, Cheshire: Mathew Barlow and Katarazyna Michalowska

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CONVICTED (2021) | Mathew Charles Barlow, born 7 November 1982, and Katarzyna (Kasia) Michalowska, born July 1986, both of 2 Deneside Avenue, Crewe CW1 3ST – let their neglected dog suffer with a severe untreated condition and allowed her to stray.

Staffordshire bull terrier Rosie was found straying by a member of the public on July 27, 2021, before a dog warden noticed she had issues with her skin, ears and eyes.

The five-year-old was taken to the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital where she was found to have a skin condition, which caused her to lose fur, as well as an ear infection and an eye condition.

Her owners Barlow and Michalowska were tracked down by the RSPCA and, following an investigation, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering.

An expert vet told the court: “Chronic and severe skin and ear disease of this type can cause suffering in a number of ways.

“In these cases the dog is constantly irritated and in an uncomfortable state. This may impact on the animal’s ability to rest and conduct other normal activities. Once the disease reaches this level, particularly of the ears, pain also becomes a feature

“It was clear at the initial examination that Rosie had pain within the ear canals. The final way suffering can be manifested is by the chronic burden of inflammation and infection being a drain on the body’s resources reducing the dog’s overall quality of life.”

The couple admitted in an interview that they had never taken Rosie to a vet’s even though they had been aware of the skin and ear condition.
They had decided to treat her with both non-prescription animal and human products.

After the hearing, Inspector Caren Goodman-James said: “Rosie showed clear signs of scratching and rubbing and both were aware of this behaviour but at no point did they register or go to a vet. Her visible reddening of the skin and thickening of her ears was also clear to see.

“If pets get obvious skin issues veterinary treatment should be sought immediately so they don’t suffer needlessly. Many vets will offer a payment plan to help spread the cost and there are charities who can help with vet bills.

“I am just delighted Rosie is now doing well in the care of RSPCA Southport, Ormskirk and district branch and her fur has grown back – she looks a picture of health.

“I am pleased she will be able to find her forever home soon. I would also like to praise the dog warden who rescued Rosie and reported the matter to us.”

Sentencing: ordered to pay £300 costs, £120 fine and a £30 victim surcharge. Banned from owning dogs for five years (expires November 2026).

CheshireLive

Equine Abuse, horses and ponies, Traveller Animal Crimes, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers

Morecambe, Lancashire: John Reid

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CONVICTED (2021) | John (‘Johnny’) Reid, born c. 1990 , of Bartholomew Road, Morecambe LA4 4RR – beat his horse in public and neglected her welfare.

Abused pony Pebbles was underweight with prominent shoulders and backbone and her ribs visible. Her cruel owner, Johnny Reid, also kept her in a sparse and filthy stable with no bedding.

Johnny Reid, a gypsy traveller with a history of violent offending, was filmed by a member of the public repeatedly beating the yearling filly, known as Pebbles.

Onlookers described how they saw Reid hit Pebbles forcefully with his arm raised above his head and he appeared to strike her every few seconds for several minutes.

The horrific incident of animal cruelty occurred in the vicinity of Westgate, Morecambe on October 10, 2020.

The footage played out in court showed Reid hitting Pebbles hard at least 15 times with a blue plastic pole. Each blow to Pebbles is heard on the footage and Reid is heard saying: “It’s gotta learn”.

RSPCA Inspector Will Lamping launched an investigation and found Pebbles was underweight with prominent shoulders and backbone and her ribs visible.

He described how the stable she was kept in was not in good condition; the floor was covered in horse faeces and there was ivy – which is poisonous to horses – growing at the back.

Inspector Lamping highlighted how Pebbles had no clean area or bedding to stand on or any feed available to her. She was also seen chewing the wood of her stable which horses often do when they are not receiving adequate nutrition.

A vet attended and her report, which was submitted to the court, said: “The stable had no bedding in whatsoever. The floor was deep in wet and faeces, with a number of plastic bags also being present mixed into the faeces. This environment was completely unsuitable for a horse due to its unsanitary conditions.

“There was nowhere clean or dry for the horse to rest in comfort, or to protect it from the cold, hard stone floor”.

Pebbles was taken into possession by police and placed into the care of the RSPCA.

Mitigation was given in court that the conditions Pebbles was being kept in were only temporary and Reid was intending to sell her on.

After the sentencing hearing, Inspector Lamping said: “Reid’s actions caused Pebbles, pain, fear and both physical and psychological suffering. She was very young and as a yearling she required teaching to educate her rather than being reprimanded in such a way. By beating a pony in a way that causes fear and pain can ultimately affect how she learns and interacts with humans going forward.”

Reid transferred ownership of Pebbles over to the RSPCA who will now be able to continue her rehabilitation and find her a loving new home.

Sentencing: 10 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months; a total of £328 in costs and charges. Five-year ban on keeping animals but can appeal after three years (expires November 2026).

Lancaster Guardian
Blackpool Gazette

Dogs, Pet Profiteering

Bream, Gloucestershire: James Awdry

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CONVICTED (2021) | James Awdry, born 25 April 1981, previously of Jubilee Villa, Lydney Road, Bream and now Hill View, Bicknor Street, Coleford GL16 7PH – kept flea-infested dogs in filthy cages.

James Awdry, who is the son of puppy farmer and convicted animal abuser Jeremy Awdry, was prosecuted by Forest of Dean District Council following an inspection of the home he shares with his father in January 2020.

Council staff found a Labrador and a spaniels “housed in an old chiller unit at the rear of an open garage that was in a filthy and unhygienic condition, with no natural light and poor ventilation.”

Three other spaniels were found in small cages at the front of the property.

Awdry had pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing in September 2020 to two charges of failing to provide for an animal’s needs and one charge of causing unnecessary suffering but later changed his pleas to guilty and was ordered to pay a total of £3,866 in fines and costs.

The prosecution was brought by the Forest of Dean District Council Street Warden Team with the assistance of the Counter Fraud Unit and the Council’s legal team.

“The Street Warden Team and Gloucestershire Constabulary attended the home address of Mr Awdry’s father on the 14th of January 2020 on the execution of a warrant. The Counter Fraud Unit and Street Warden Team then conducted an investigation into allegations under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

“Two dogs, a spaniel and a black Labrador, were found housed in an old chiller unit at the rear of an open garage that was in a filthy and unhygienic condition, with no natural light and poor ventilation. Three other spaniels were also found in small cages at the front of the property.

“It was deemed by the Street Warden Team that the basic needs of the animals had not been provided for. The spaniel kept in the chiller unit was found to have an infestation of biting lice and a fungal infection in her ears, along with a patch of raw skin on her chest causing her unnecessary discomfort and suffering.

“Awdry had failed to provide a suitable environment for his dogs to live in and failed to protect them from suffering and disease.”

Gloucestershire Live

Dogs, Serial Animal Abusers

West Bowling, Bradford: Brian Edwards

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CONVICTED (2021) | Brian Edwards, born c. 1978, of Rooley Lane, Bradford BD5 – kept an injured emaciated Staffy in a filthy smelly cage.

Serial animal abuser Brian Edwards kept a starving dog locked in a filthy cage but said he did nothing wrong. The dog, Seven, was also suffering an untreated leg fracture, the cause of which was not explained.

Edwards was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to the dog, named Seven, by:

  • failing to provide adequate nutrition
  • failing to seek veterinary treatment for a leg injury
  • failing to provide access to water
  • forcing her to live in an unclean environment.

He was also sentenced for breaching a ban which was imposed in June 2017 and had already disqualified him from keeping all animals for ten years.

RSPCA Inspector Dave Holgate investigated after police called the charity to attend the property in Poplar Road, Shipley, in July 2020.

“I was called to attend a flat in Shipley by the police who were at the location,” he said.

“There I met two police officers and was shown a tan coloured Staffordshire Bull Terrier dog which was being kept in a cage.

“The dog was very thin and sitting in her own mess. She was dirty and smelly. The dog was then seized by police and removed from the flat and placed into RSPCA care.”

Seven was taken immediately to the vets to be checked over where she was found to be malnourished, dehydrated and suffering from an old untreated fracture to her left leg.

A vet report shown to the court stated that she also had extensive muscle wastage, conjunctivitis, ulceration and fur loss on the top of her forehead and around her cheeks.

The report stated: “The left leg was uncomfortable and painful for her and there was evidence of an old fracture of the femur on the left leg and deformed femoral head due to potential bad alignment on the time of the fracture. The healing of the bone and the abnormal angle is suggestive of an old unattended fracture of the bone.

“I suggested to the investigator that the animal was suffering from the conditions and was suffering for at least 2-3 months to come to that malnourished state.

“I do believe the patient was suffering, especially from malnutrition and untreated pain on her back left leg. I believe this suffering could have been avoided, should the conditions improve.”

Edwards pleaded not guilty and did not accept any wrongdoing.

However, magistrates felt a custodial sentence, curfew or order to carry out unpaid work would not be suitable.

Seven has since been re-homed.

Sentencing: year-long community order, with up to 20 days of rehabilitation activity requirement. He was fined £180 and ordered to pay £750 in costs and a victim surcharge of £95. Disqualified from keeping dogs for ten years but can appeal after just one year.

Examiner Live