Dogs

Lancaster, Lancashire: Daniel Welbourne

January 13, 2023 misanthropic 10 Comments

CONVICTED (2023) | Daniel Welbourne, born c. 1964, of Thurnham Street, Lancaster LA1 – failed to get veterinary treatment for a young border collie found straying and in significant pain

Animal abuser Daniel Welbourne from Lancaster, UK. Photo: Facebook — Animal abuser Daniel Welbourne from Lancaster

Welbourne was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to the male border collie named Reggie.

He let the badly injured dog roam unsupervised in the city while he was in ‘significant pain and distress’ and had lost the use of both of his back legs.

Reggie was in immense pain and had lost the use of his back legs. Photo: RSPCA — Reggie was in immense pain and had lost the use of his back legs

Reggie was suffering from a severe flea infestation and a suspected broken pelvis when he was collected by an RSPCA officer after being found collapsed in a garden on August 14, 2022.

Despite his lack of mobility, he had been regularly allowed to wander the streets in the week before he was found and had not been seen by a vet.

In court, Welbourne admitted one charge of causing unnecessary suffering, following a prosecution by the RSPCA.

The court heard how Reggie was rushed to the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital after the charity had been called by a concerned member of the public.

On arrival, he was reluctant to get up from a sitting position or attempt to get down from the kennel in the back of the officer’s van.

After being lifted out onto the ground, his body language was that of an extremely uncomfortable dog who was tense, hunched up, panting heavily and fearful of making any attempt to change position or walk, the court was told.

Severely lame in both back legs, Reggie would cry out in pain after trying to walk just three or four metres.

He was carried into the hospital and had to be sedated to allow vets to examine him.

Spinal or neurological problems were thought to be the most likely issues after x-rays ruled out chest, pelvic and rib injuries.

In evidence to the court, one of the examining vets said: “Reggie was likely to have been in significant pain and distress throughout this week.

“He was unable to express normal behaviour and was suffering significantly both with severe pain, and with fear and anxiety related to the expectation of further pain.

“His owner failed to present Reggie for veterinary care during this week, despite him showing clear evidence of pain and injury.”

Welbourne was interviewed by RSPCA inspector Amy McIntosh on August 22.

He told the officer he didn’t think he had done anything wrong and that he thought his dog would get better on his own.

Despite being given strong painkillers and anti inflammatories, Reggie’s condition sadly did not improve in the days that followed and he remained in significant discomfort, becoming distressed during handling.

The veterinary team who were caring for him advised Welbourne that he was suffering and the kindest thing to do would be to put him to sleep, which his owner consented to.

Speaking about the case Inspector McIntosh said: “This was an extremely sad case as Reggie was only a young dog and his owner should have sought veterinary help at a much earlier stage.

“His welfare needs were clearly not being met and despite the fact he was severely lame in both back legs, he was left to roam unsupervised, prolonging his pain and putting him in even further danger.”

Sentencing | 12-month community order with 200 hours of unpaid work. Ordered to pay a total of £250 in costs and surcharge. RSPCA’s costs of £1667.88 are to be paid from central funds. Four year ban on keeping dogs (expires January 2027).

Lancashire Post
ITV News

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

Garston, Liverpool: Christy Hewitt and Chantell Duvall-Gregory

January 9, 2023 misanthropic 3 Comments

CONVICTED (2023) | Christy Carl Hewitt, born c. 2001, and Chantell Duvall-Gregory*, born 24 January 2002, previously of Windfield Road, Garston, Liverpool L19 – abused and battered a young Belgian shepherd dog over several weeks and dumped his body when he died.

Dog killers Christy Hewitt and Chantell Duvall-Gregory from Liverpool

Hewitt and Duvall-Gregory, who are parents, pleaded guilty to a string of animal cruelty charges after the battered body of a two-year Belgian Shepherd, known as Snoop, was found stashed in a suitcase and dumped on the bank of the River Mersey.

The Belgian Shepherd as found dead inside a bright pink locked suitcase, which had the name ‘Chantell’ written on it

The pair pleaded guilty to inflicting blunt force trauma, physical violence and abusive behaviour on Snoop, to failing to provide an adequate diet, and to failing to take him to a vet when necessary. They also pleaded guilty to one count of breaching their duties as people responsible for ensuring the welfare of an animal.

The pair battered and abused Snoop, who was found dead inside a bright pink locked suitcase by a dog walker near the Speke and Garston Nature Reserve on January 11, 2022.

The offences took place between April 1 and December 22 2021 at the couple’s former home in Winfield Road, Garston.

The pair subjected the dog to months of abuse. The court heard there was evidence that both had punched, kicked and stamped on the dog. He had “extensive bruising and fractures to the ribs” and two fractured canines. It was clear the injures were non-accidental. The rib injuries were determined to be 6/8 weeks old as they had begun to heal.

Dog killers Christy Hewitt and Chantell Duvall-Gregory from Liverpool. The pair are pictured during their court appearance.

Prosecutor Peter Mitchell said: “As you know, the ribs are nature’s shock absorbers so it takes significant force to break them. They minimised exactly how much force they used on this dog”.

Snoop was also punched to the face, causing damage to his canine teeth, but it was not possible to determine exactly which of the pair caused which injury.

A youth witness previously stated she saw Duvall-Gregory once hit Snoop so hard with a wooden spoon it broke.

Dog killer Chantell Duvall-Gregory from Liverpool

Duvall-Gregory had admitted she would kick Snoop on the bottom, but not hard, and would give him a “slap on the nose”. Mr Mitchell said: “She accepted she caused a number of the injuries, but minimises how serious the injuries were.”

Similarly, Hewitt said he would “give it a slap if the dog was pissing and shitting in the house”, but not hard.

Mr Mitchell said: “The dog was not fed dog food at all, and was only given leftover food.”

Dog killer Christy Hewitt from Liverpool

It was determined Snoop had died of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis after eating a granola bar with raisins given to him by Duvall-Gregory.

Mr Mitchell detailed that on the day he died, “the dog had lost the use of its bowels, and black tar was coming out” of its bottom.

Vicky Balenski, defending, said Snoop had become ill and died on December 23, and Duvall-Gregory and Hewitt had called several vets to help the animal but no-one was available due to the proximity to Christmas.

She also said the dog had already passed away before being put into the suitcase, and they were not trying to hide anything when disposing of the body.

Ms Balenski said her clients claimed Snoop would not eat dog food, and that Duvall-Gregory thought she had removed all the raisins from the granola before feeding it to the dog.

In sentencing, his honour Judge James Hatton said: “For a lengthy period of time, this dog has been beaten and abused”.

Addressing Duvall-Gregory, he said: “This is prolonged ill treatment and neglectful treatment of this animal and has resulted in its untimely death.

“It is abundantly clear that you beat that defenceless animal over a lengthy period of time.”

He said they left injuries untreated which caused more suffering for the animal.

Speaking to Hewitt, the judge said: “Much of what I have said to your co-defendant applies to you.”

He referred to the punching, kicking and stamping of the dog, and said it was your “default position to minimise your behaviour.”

Sentencing |

Duvall-Gregory: 22 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 18 months; £128 victim surcharge and £450 prosecution costs.

Hewitt: 22 weeks’ immediate imprisonment.

Both were handed a ten year disqualification from owning an animal, and cannot apply to appeal this for five years.

Liverpool Echo

Updates

Duvall-Gregory is now calling herself Emily Cara Smith on Facebook. It’s not known if this is for social media purposes only or if she’s legally changed her name.

Dogs, hunting with dogs

Ely, Cardiff: Michael Mountstephens

January 9, 2023 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2023) | Michael Mountstephens, born 8 October 1973, of 23 Glyndwr Road, Ely, Cardiff CF5 4EE – failed to get medical treatment for a lurcher after an orthopaedic metal plate became exposed in her leg,

Dog abuser: Michael Mountstephens from Ely, Cardiff, Wales

Mountstephens, head of a large family of violent career criminals, was prosecuted after the dog, called Luna, was found with an infected leg in a dirty kennel in December 2021.

The RSPCA sent an inspector to the property following enquiries. Inspector Julie Fadden was met by a man who said there were no whippets or lurchers with leg injuries at the property. She then met another man who said there was a dog in a cage in the back garden with a leg injury but she was “fine.”

Luna was badly abused by heartless Michael Mountstephens and the ret of his trash family

Inspector Fadden asked to see the dog and was shown into the garden. She said: “I saw a grey whippet/lurcher type bitch in a kennel with a run. The dog was grey with white markings and had an exposed metal plate showing, attached to the bone on her right foreleg.

Luna's leg smelled infected with an exposed metal plate — Luna was in agony after her leg became badly infected and a metal plate fully exposed

“The dog was holding her right front foreleg up and I could smell the distinctive smell of infection coming from it, even from a distance. The dog was lean and I could see her ribs and spine. The kennel was dark and dirty with some faeces within and there was no comfortable resting area.”

One of the men said Luna had “recently” been seen by a vet and that her owner was Mountstephens, who was out. Neither man could confirm which vet Luna had been seen by, and when enquiries were made with vet practices in the Cardiff area, none of their records showed they had performed surgery on Luna.

The men eventually agreed to let Luna get urgent veterinary treatment after Inspector Fadden warned that she would bring the police with her on her next visit otherwise. The vet who examined Luna later that day said her owner was responsible for “ongoing serious neglect” as the exposed plate on her leg was extremely obvious.

The vet said: “Luna was mildly lame, being unable to bear some weight on the right foreleg which indicates this was causing pain. It is very likely due to the appearance of the skin surrounding the exposed plate that this wound/exposed bone had been present for a prolonged period, potentially weeks to months, prior to presentation. This would have led to a prolonged period of suffering.”

Police were called to attend the vet practice and seized Luna, passing her into the RSPCA’s care.

The RSPCA launched an investigation in which it was first alleged that Luna didn’t belong to Mountstephens and had been dumped at the property, then that he was her owner and had taken her to the vet.

Mountstephens was given a message to urgently ring Inspector Fadden, and that steps would be taken to rehome Luna if he didn’t contact the RSPCA within 14 days. The RSPCA kept trying to contact Mountstephens in December 2021 and January 2022 but didn’t succeed, so decided to rehome Luna once she had recovered.

RSPCA inspector Christine McNeil, who fostered Luna during her rehabilitation, said: “It was lovely to be able to care for Luna and help her recover from what was a really dreadful ordeal. We started off with short walks to build up the strength in her leg, and her loving, friendly and sociable nature shone through. She liked nothing more than snoozing on my sofa and trying out all my soft furnishings, and I’m so pleased that she’s doing well in her new home.”

Luna has now been adopted by another family.

Mountstephens was tried at Cardiff Magistrates Court in July 2022. The judge couldn’t be sure that Luna was Mountstephens’ responsbility for the entire two-year period that was alleged, so could only hand down a verdict based on what happened in the two-month period that Mountstephens accepted.

Mountstephens was found guilty of one charge of causing unnecessary suffering at the hearing. He was found not guilty of failing to take reasonable steps to ensure the needs of Luna were met.

Sentencing | 18-week prison sentence, suspended for two years due to his caring responsibilities; costs of £500. Banned from keeping any animals for 12 months.

Wales Online

Dogs, Traveller Animal Crimes, Worst of the Worst

Shipley, West Yorkshire: Montoyah Brewer

January 6, 2023 misanthropic 3 Comments

CONVICTED (2023) | Montoyah Brewer, born 24 February 2000, of Esholt Lane Travellers Site, Esholt Lane, Baildon, Shipley BD17 6RJ – failed to get medical help for a desperately unwell dog

Convicted animal abuser: Montoyah Brewer, a traveller from Shipley, West Yorkshire

Traveller Montoyah Brewer, daughter of notorious convicted animal abuser Henry Brewer, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a poorly Staffordshire bull terrier by failing to provide the medical attention she badly needed.

The eight-month-old dog, named Princess, was “riddled with mange,” unable to stand, had open sores, and both eyes were filled with puss”. She was also in the early stages of septicaemia.

She was eventually put down because of the seriousness of her condition, which had left her in serious pain.

Brewer tearfully told the court she had tried to help the dog and had assumed responsibility for her because she said she didn’t want to see her suffer.

The court heard that Brewer lived on Esholt Traveller Site, and that Princess belonged to a regular user of the site called William Smith.

When Brewer noticed the dog appeared ill, she contacted a vet on August 25, 2021, claiming Princess was her dog.

She was advised to send photos of the dog’s ailments so the vets could identify the issue.

However, Brewer did not do this until September 7. She was told to bring Princess to the PDSA, and did so the next day.

However, by then Princess was in a serious condition. She was treated for 24 hours before vets decided she needed to be put down to relieve her suffering.

Brewer told them she needed to contact her partner, Kalvin Bennett, before Princess was put down, but in the following hours the vets were unable to contact her. They took the decision to euthanise Princess.

William Smith later contacted the RSPCA, annoyed that they had put Princess down. They were unable to contact him to arrange an interview after that phone call.

Mr Brown, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, said: “The defendant said she was the owner of the dog, and at the time there was nothing to suggest anything other than that she was the owner of Princess. She authorised medical procedures as the owner of the animal.”

Referring to Princess’ condition, he said: “She was in severe pain and had early stage septicaemia.

“It appears she had been left with an unattended serious skin condition for some time.

“She must have been in pain for a minimum of a week, likely longer.

“Had treatment been given at an earlier stage it is likely that the dog would have recovered.”

Upkar Bahir, defending, said Brewer had never been the owner of the dog, adding: “She has stated from the outset that it belonged to a William Smith.”

He said Brewer had become friendly with Smith’s puppy when he was staying at the site, and last August noticed Princess appeared unwell. This led to her contact with the PDSA.

He said after that contact she “fell short” in her attempts to get help for the dog. He said: “She was asked to provide photographs of the dog – she should have followed this responsibility through. She could have done more.

“She didn’t take that responsibility on board and she should have done. She accepts that this makes her culpable.

“She felt sorry for the dog and tried to do the best she could to get her help. Clearly her best wasn’t good enough. It was well intentioned. She is very upset about this whole incident.”

Brewer told the court she has lost sleep over the incident, adding: “I don’t want people to think I’m a horrible person. I was just trying to get the animal some help.”

Chairman of the Bench Brian Outlaw said: “We’ve looked at the photos of Princess – they are not the nicest photos to look at.

“It must have been very distressing for that dog, who in the end couldn’t stand, was blind and was wasting away.

“Put this behind you and learn from it.”

Sentencing | 12-month community order, with 15 rehabilitation days; ordered to pay £100 costs to the RSPCA and £95 victim surcharge.. She was banned from keeping dogs for 12 months (expires January 2024).

Telegraph and Argus

UK Animal Cruelty Files

Yearly Archives: 2023