CONVICTED (2021) | Claire Lines, born 12 November 1982, of 28 Circular Road, Larne BT40 1HW – failed to get treatment for two dogs found with up to 80 bite and puncture wounds
Claire Lines, whose sister Christina Lines, is also a convicted dog abuser, contested the cruelty charges against her in relation to Staffordshire bull terriers Jack and Jock. but was found guilty as charged.
The court heard that Lines carried Jock into a vet in Larne claiming he had been attacked by a Labrador. She had covered the wounds in Sudocrem that she happened to have in her handbag.
Horrified staff at the vet contacted the council animal welfare officer (AWO) when they shaved Jock to treat his wounds and uncovered multiple scrapes, puncture wounds and bite marks to his face, chest and legs. The wounds were both fresh and old.
Jock’s condition was so horrific the AWO ordered him to be seized and Lines signed him over.
She refused to sign over Jack, however, and he remains in council kennels with kennelling and legal costs now reaching £7,610.
In the aftermath of the seizure Lines began an online petition and gave a press interview lambasting the council for “stealing” her pets.
While Lines told defence barrister Michael Smyth the two dogs “only had a barking match”, a claim which she also made to her local council, the prosecuting barrister revealed that Lines had written an email to an animal rehoming charity saying: “Long story short, my two Staffies have been fighting flat out for two weeks – I don’t know what to do any more.”
“I didn’t say that, I never said that, the council is lying,” claimed Lines, further claiming that she lied to the animal charity in order to get help.
Lodging a plea of mitigation, Lines’ defence barrister Michael Smyth surmised she made up the story about the dog attack because Jack already had conditions attached to his licence following an incident in 2017 and so feared that he would be taken off her.
Convicting Lines, the district judge said she had concocted so many stories “she couldn’t remember her own lies”.
Sentencing: four-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months; £400 towards the council’s costs. Five-year ban on owning dogs (expires March 2026). Lines, who has two other dogs, Shep and Storm, has launched an appeal against the banning order.
Update July 2021
The Sunday Life newspaper reported that Lines has had her five-year ban on keeping animals lifted on appeal.
The judgement came after council animal welfare officers revisited Lines’ home and provided an updated report on the conditions in which her current pets, Shep and Storm, were now living.
It said the dogs appeared to be in good health and were well fed, if a little overweight.
The presiding judge told Lines her pets would continue to be protected by the suspended prison sentence hanging over her, which would be activated should she commit any more animal cruelty offences.
The judge told Lines: “I hope you have learnt your lesson, there is no excuse for allowing dogs to suffer.
“I appreciate the circumstances as to how the matter came to pass but I hope you have learnt your lesson.”