CONVICTED (2024) | Kimberley Barber, born 14 January 1997, of Wellstone Avenue, Bramley, Leeds LS13 4DY – confined her elderly dog to a tiny cage and starved her; neglected the needs of two bearded dragons.
Single mother Kimberley Barber starved 13-year-old Boxer cross Amber for months, leaving her in “substantial pain and suffering”. The dog was so weak and hungry when she was rescued from Barber’s filthy home, she could only stagger around the property.
Two bearded dragons, who were left in two vivariums without heating and lighting, were also rescued.
Barber pleaded guilty to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and appeared for sentencing at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court on June 26, 2024.
The court heard that RSPCA Inspector Demi Hodby first called at Barber’s home on December 10, 2023, but the defendant did not cooperate and claimed she was a friend staying at the property.
On a previous visit, an RSPCA inspector had posted a welfare assessment form asking Barber to respond to a report that there was an underweight dog at the house.
Inspector Hodby returned to Barber’s home on December 12 and gained entry with a police officer. The sounds of a whimpering dog led them to Amber, who was found in an emaciated condition inside a dog cage.
In a statement read to the court, the inspector said: “There was no food or water and the bedding inside Amber’s cage was sodden and very smelly.
“I let her out of the cage and she was staggering around the kitchen.
“Once she was out of the cage she was in constant search for food. There was an empty sealed food container with a small trace of food at the bottom. I gave her what was left and she ate the food very quickly.”
At first, the inspector thought the two bearded dragons, one inside a vivarium in the living room, and the other in a vivarium kept in a bedroom, were dead.
Neither reptile had access to water or food and their enclosures were lacking UV lighting and heating.
“Both dragons were lifeless and were flattened out to the bottom of the vivariums to try and get warm. The temperatures inside the vivariums ranged from 12C to 13C and the UV reading was zero,” said the inspector.
Bearded dragons should be kept in an environment where a heat source provides a thermogradient so they can regulate their temperature by moving around from a hot area of around 38C to 42C to a cool spot of between 22C and 26C. They also need lighting so they can detect heat.
The inspector added: “All the animals were removed and taken to the vets for treatment while I posted a voluntary interview letter at the address for the owner.
“I was later informed by the police that she was located later that day hiding in an upstairs wardrobe.”
A vet who examined Amber said that she was emaciated. She weighed only 16.5kg when an appropriate weight for a dog of her size should be between 25kg and 30kg. Blood tests revealed she was suffering from anaemia caused by malnutrition.
The vet said that based on Amber’s poor body condition she had not been fed properly for several months. .
They confirmed that although the bearded dragons were not unhealthy their living conditions had been “entirely unsuitable”.
In mitigation, the court was told that Barber suffered from poor mental health and had a diagnosis of ADHD. She had been struggling to cope after the death of her mother.
Speaking after the sentencing, Inspector Hodby said: “Amber was so close to dying and if we hadn’t gone into the defendant’s home and taken her at the time we did she might not have made it. The poor dog was emaciated and left in squalor in a small cage. It looked as though Barber gave up completely feeding her pets.
“Amber’s weight loss was horrifying, but under the care of our branch she has made a great recovery. She was so thin when she first came into our care that it took a while for her to put weight back on, which is why she was placed with a foster family.”
RSPCA Halifax, Huddersfield, Bradford and District Branch Rehoming Coordinator Ella Green said: “Amber was very skinny when she came into us and her muscles were weak, while she weighed just 17.8kg.
“She was rehabilitated in one of our fantastic foster homes (see video clip). She is a really lovely girl and was a complete joy to care for, both here at the branch and with her fosterers.
“When she recovered she was placed on our Elderly Animal Rehoming Scheme (EARS) and she has now found a loving new home. She has had some age-related issues, so the branch has been working closely with her adopter to ensure she keeps as fit and healthy as possible for an older lady.”
The two bearded dragons are thriving after being cared for at a specialist rescue, Reptilia in Ossett, with one of them since having been rehomed.
Sentencing | eight weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months; 15 days of rehabilitation; victim surcharge of £154 and costs of £246. Banned from keeping animals for 10 years (expires June 2034).
Pure evil monster 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
Very few judges have given prison sentences to these animal abusers.. All need jail time not community hours. Iam delighted that their names and photos are published.