CONVICTED (2018) | Charmaine Victoria Louise Collins, born 02/01/1990, of Rosebery Road, Southborne, Bournemouth BH5 2JH – let 61 animals die in her maggot-infested flat.
Mother-of-one Collins crammed 196 animals including cats, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils and lizards as well as ducks and chickens in to her two-bedroom flat at 25 Hamilton Road in Boscombe before she was raided by police and the RSPCA. Some animals had gone without water and food for at least a week. Of the 196 animals, 61 died.
The court heard that Collins, who had started a degree in veterinary care, had established an animal breeding business called Fairytales with a friend. However, the friend backed out around two weeks before the flat was raided.
Officials found 48 animals in a small shed in the property’s communal garden. Many of the creatures inside – including 30 guinea pigs – were dead at the time, or died shortly afterwards.
Entry was then forced to the flat, which was in darkness and without electricity. As RSPCA inspector Patrick Bailey panned a torch around the dark rooms, the beam fell on a severely dehydrated rabbit, which was “convulsing”.
Officers were cofonfronted with loosely-stacked crates and cages filled with animals and smaller creatures suffocating in plastic containers.
More rabbits were confined to these containers, unable to move in any direction.
An animal carcass infested with maggots was also discovered. Decomposition indicated the creature had been dead for some time.
The RSPCA had first become involved with Collins in April 2016 over “similar issues”. At that time, Collins sought help from officials and some months later had just two dogs and a lizard.
However, she then began buying animals from fairs and shows. Ten days after she was interviewed by police, she travelled to Holland to buy 70 rodents. All have now been seized by the RSPCA.
Collins admitted six charges relating to the care of the animals.
Sentence: 12-month community order and 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days; total of £330 costs and charges. Banned from keeping any animal for the next 10 years (expires July 2028).
Update 22 November 2021
Collins, who has now changed her name to Amy Tara White, was back before the courts for breaching her disqualification order.
The defendant, now said to be of Noble Close, Bournemouth, was reported to the RSPCA for being involved with caged birds despite being banned from any involvement with animals for ten years in July 2018.
She was alleged to have been involved with the keeping of 32 caged birds on or before September 1, 2020, at an address in Poole.
Court papers state that she pleaded guilty on the day of her scheduled trial to the single animal welfare offence on a basis that she accepted the offence but denied ownership.
She was sentenced based on her version of the facts.
RSPCA Inspector Patrick Bailey, who investigated for the animal welfare charity, said after the hearing: “Courts impose disqualification orders on people convicted of animal welfare offences to protect other animals.
“It is important for people to tell us if they believe someone has breached a ban. We depend on the public to be our eyes and ears and we take breaches of bans very seriously – as do the courts.”
Collins / White was handed another 12-month community order with a requirement to complete up to 25 days of rehabilitation activity requirement. She was ordered to pay a £95 surcharge and £400 costs.