CONVICTED (2024) | Reece Glossop, born c. 2000, of Wharfedale Lawns, Wetherby, Leeds LS22 6PU – abandoned two cats in an unhygienic flat littered with faeces and hazards.
Glossop left his home over the festive season, leaving his cats Daisy and Mustafa behind for nine days to fend for themselves inside the filthy and hazardous flat.
Cat faeces were behind the flat door and the area behind the living room door was covered in mouldy faeces.
No litter tray had been provided and RSPCA inspectors found faeces piled up on the floor which was also strewn with rubbish.
Glossop, who didn’t even have the decency to attend court for his first hearing, was found guilty in his absence of one offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
In a a written statement read to the court RSPCA Inspector Emma Ellis described being met with a strong smell of ammonia in the communal area outside the flat during her visit on January 11, 2023.
The inspector met Glossop at the property, and he said he was cleaning to the flat.
She asked about the welfare of the cats and he said he had left on December 24 to go to London because of family issues. He said “someone was supposed to be looking after them”.
“He said he came back on December 28 to check on the cats, but he had to return to London and then he came back again on January 6. When I asked who was looking after the cats during that time he replied, ‘they were looking after themselves’,” said the inspector.
Glossop had left food in a bowl in the living room, but there was no water.
Daisy
Daisy and Mustafa were in a normal body condition, but it was later found that Mustafa had a heart murmur, which could have been caused by stress.
In mitigation, the court heard how Glossop had been diagnosed with ADHD and suffered from psychosis. He had received therapy for a personality disorder while at a psychiatric unit.
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 20 hours of unpaid work and 15 hours of “rehabilitation”; £200 costs and £114 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping animals for just three years (expires April 2027).
CONVICTED (2024) | Toni Leigh Rowland, born 22 August 1997, of Dundas Way, Felling, Gateshead NE10 9JR – left an 11-month-old dog to starve in a filthy cage.
Northumbria Police found Rowland’s dog- an American bulldog called Nala – in a urine-soaked cage in a bedroom at a property in Leeming Gardens. Sheriff Hill, Gateshead, on August 27, 2023, and rushed her to a veterinary practice
The puppy was so weak she couldn’t stand for longer than half a minute without falling over. The vet gave her a body condition score of just one out of nine and estimated she had been suffering from hunger for weeks if not months.
The RSPCA was contacted and an investigation started.
In written evidence to the court, Inspector Kirsty Keogh-Laws, who saw Nala at the vets, said: “She was desperately skinny and I was able to see every bone in her body.
“Her rib cage was visibly protruding from her body and I could count the bones along her spine. Her legs and back end were stained yellow with a strong smell of urine and she was unable to stand for longer than around 30 seconds or so without falling to the ground.
“I could see pressure sores on the pads of her feet and on her elbows. She was friendly despite being visibly very weak.”
The court heard that the team at Vets Now ran blood tests and instigated a feeding plan, aimed at preventing refeeding syndrome, which can be fatal.
Nala was cared for by a veterinary nurse from the practice before being transferred to the RSPCA rehoming centre for ongoing care in November 2023.
In court Nala’s owner, Rowland, a single mother whose two children have apparently been taken into care, admitted to two animal welfare offences.
Magistrates were told Rowland was suffering from “mental health problems” at the time.
When Nala arrived at the RSPCA Felledge Animal and Equine Centre in Chester-le-Street, she would urinate on the floor when staff called her name, so they stopped using it. Thankfully, there has been a happy ending for Nala, who has since been renamed Penny and rehomed with Beth Atkinson, who described her as “my world”.
Nala, who was renamed Penny, has been adopted by a woman who describes her as “my world”
Inspector Keogh-Laws praised Northumbria Police and vets for their support in the case, adding: “Without a doubt she was the thinnest dog I have ever seen alive. She couldn’t stand unaided at the vets for more than 30 seconds and was quite literally wasting away in a filthy cage.
“She was a very poorly dog when she first arrived at Vets Now in Gateshead and the team there were instrumental in her recovery. I think we were all hoping for the best but possibly fearing the worst, but they did a wonderful job. To see Penny now in her new home, transformed and living her best life with Beth, is just incredible.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 20 days of “rehabilitation” and 200 hours of unpaid work. FIVE-year disqualification order (expires April 2029).
CONVICTED (2024) | Sophie Charlotte Singer, born April 1982, and Keith Byrne, born 27 April 1984, of 3 Beauchamp Court, 3 Wilmington Gardens, Eastbourne BN21 4PB – left their 14-year-old boxer dog to die while they swanned off on holiday to Center Parcs.
Sophie Singer and Keith Byrne, who left their boxer dog to starve, were given a suspended prison sentence after the judge heard they have seven children
The heartless couple refused to accept their elderly pet, known as Bentley, was suffering before they abandoned him at home in January 2022.
Bentley died shortly after being found by the RSPCA
One of their neighbours raised the alarm in their absence, after entering the home through a broken front door to find Bentley at the foot of the stairs the day after they left.
His breathing was ‘rapid and shallow’, and the neighbour thought he was dying.
Bentley was ‘barely alive’ when an RSPCA inspector entered their home through an unlocked door the next day.
He was covered in scabs and weighed just 12.5kg – less than half the weight of an average boxer.
He had been so hungry, he turned to eating food wrappers and a felt pen found in his stomach. His claws were so overgrown they’d become talons.
Bentley was in such a poor state, police told the RSPCA inspector to remove him despite not legally being allowed to.
Judge Christine Laing KC, who said she has never owned a dog, said: ‘I find this case really extraordinary.
‘Even as a non dog owner, I would have seen instantly that this dog was in a terrible state.’
She added: ‘He would not have been able to move without being in agony.
‘The ribs showing through his skin you could not have failed to miss.
‘He had scabs and inflammation on his skin you could not have failed to miss.’
He had prominent ribs, hips and spine. His eyes were sunken and his claws were curling over.
The RSPCA did their best to save him, but Bentley died overnight after suffering months of neglect.
When contacted by the RSPCA through information found on Bentley’s chip, long distance lorry driver Byrne told them Bentley had not seen a vet for a year.
Singer said they put his condition down to old age and tiredness, claiming she believed he wouldn’t have come home if they had taken him to a vet.
The pair tried convincing the court they had left Bentley – their pet of seven years – in the care of a family friend, but the judge rejected this claim.
Judge Laing said: ‘You insist on continuing to persist with this bizarre story.
‘The dog had clearly been suffering for a very substantial period of time and you decided to swan off on holiday.
‘I’m not even convinced you had somebody to look after it or that this person even existed.
‘The animal was clearly starving. There was no food in its stomach.
‘It really is appalling behaviour. I am at a loss.
‘Both of you talk about it as if it was a beloved family pet.
‘What an example you are showing to your children about what love is.’ Singer and Byrne were convicted in their absence of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and failing to ensure his welfare.
Criticising their avoidance of court, the judge said: ‘There is no mitigation to be found.
‘I’m quite satisfied you have gone to considerable efforts to avoid the whole court process.’
The judge told them they would likely have had to serve time behind bars if they were not the parents of seven children.
Sentencing | Singer: six month prison term, suspended for two years.; 200 hours of unpaid work. Byrne: nine month prison term, suspended for two years; 300 hours of unpaid work. £350 costs each. FIVE-year ban (expires April 2029).
CONVICTED (2024) | Leah Mae O’Connor, born 23 June 1999, of Summerfield Road, Todmorden OL14 – left two dogs to starve to death in an abandoned property.
Leah O’Connor left two dogs to starve to death in a filthy house
Bulldog Doris and Rottweiler puppy Rox were left behind when single mother Leah O’Connor moved out of a house on Melrose Street, Halifax, in February 2023.
The RSPCA were alerted after the property’s landlord discovered the abandoned pets.
Emaciated bulldog, Doris, had eaten plastic in desperation for food. Tragically she didn’t survive after her condition deteriorated
In written evidence to the court, Inspector Demi Hodby said: “The property itself was full of faeces and urine.
“Where there wasn’t faeces there was rubbish and other hazards on the floor and it was difficult to move around.
“It smelt strongly of urine and faeces and it was difficult to stay inside.
“The smell caused my eyes and nose to burn.”
The remains of Rottweiler puppy Rox were found in this cage
There was a dog cage covered with a blue blanket in the house and inside was the body of Rox.
Inspector Hodby said: “There was no food or water inside the cage and it looked as though the dog had been trying for some time to get out.”
She added: “The dog itself was in an emaciated condition.
“One of its legs was poked through the cage and wrapped around the bars.
“It was absolutely heartbreaking to think what this dog has gone through leading up to its death.”
Doris was barely alive – emaciated, shivering, and lethargic, the court heard.
She was rushed for veterinary treatment and found to be severely dehydrated, covered in fleas, and had to be carried into the room because “she was too weak to stand”.
It was found she had eaten plastic to survive.
The bulldog was there for more than a week but her condition deteriorated and she had to be put down.
The court heard O’Connor had “spun a web of lies” to neighbours and family members, telling them Doris and Rox had been rehomed to someone on a farm.
She told Inspector Hodby in an interview she had done this after leaving the address and claimed someone must have broken in, as she was not aware the dogs were there.
O’Connor had concealed the dog’s suffering and the state of the property, which she wouldn’t allow anyone to enter, before finally leaving the house and abandoning the dogs to die inside.
In mitigation, the court was told O’Connor had been diagnosed with low maturity.
She also struggled with alcohol and drug issues – which she was getting help for – as well as depression and anxiety.
The magistrates were told that the “prolonged neglect” and abandonment of the dogs by their owner for a long period of time could not be regarded as anything other than “a deliberate act, perhaps short of sadistic behaviour”.
O’Connor pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and was ordered to undertake rehabilitation activities.
Speaking after the case, Inspector Hodby said: “The sight of Rox, who had wasted away in that filthy cage, unable to escape, is something that will stay with me, and those who discovered her, for a long time.
“Along with Doris, she’d endured unimaginable suffering over a prolonged period of time, having been abandoned and forgotten about.”
CONVICTED (2024) | Carrie Hansford aka Carrie Matthews, born c. 1980, of Wickham Court, Totton, Southampton SO40 3GJ – caused a 10-year-old dog “unimaginable suffering” after leaving him to starve to death in an abandoned flat.
Heartless Carrie Hansford left her dog behind to die after moving in with a new boyfriend
Hansford left Staffy Rocky alone in her property on Junction Road, Southampton, after she moved in with a new boyfriend.
The court heard she saw Rocky the day after he died – December 17, 2022 – but left him there to rot.
Rocky died a slow, painful death from starvation and dehydration and weighed only 6.75kg when he was found.
Eventually a dog warden found Rocky’s emaciated body surrounded by his own faeces.
A statement from an expert vet witness said: “In the kitchen area there were hundreds of faeces deposits.
“There were also a number of household items on the floor along with a deceased male brindle-and-white Staffordshire bull terrier-type dog. The dog was wearing a slack collar and the bony prominences were easily observed.”
The court heard that Rocky had died from starvation and dehydration. He weighed less than 7kg.
The vet’s statement explained the amount of faeces in the kitchen was consistent with Rocky having had access to food and water on a regular basis for a prolonged period.
It added: “However, at some point this must have stopped, and a lack of access to food caused Rocky to lose weight and arrive at an emaciated bodily condition.
“More importantly, at some point in time Rocky’s access to water must have also stopped, resulting in dehydration and death.
“In addition, Rocky would have been spending long periods of time in social isolation. As a social species, this would have affected the mental health of this animal.”
Hansford pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal between 7th August 2022 and 7th December 2022.
Speaking after the sentencing hearing, Mark Knight, the dog warden who discovered Rocky’s remains said it was one of the most distressing cases of animal abuse in his career.
The former veterinary nurse added: “It is clear the owner intended to leave the dog to die. She easily could have gotten assistance and help and that would’ve given the dog a chance.
“He had no chance being locked behind a door with no food or water.
“There were ripped packages, ripped everything, everywhere. The dog had been searching for food and trying to find a way to survive.
“As an animal warden, I am there for the welfare of animals. I felt raw emotion at that time.”
Mark described the punishment meted out to Hansford as “quite shocking”.
An RSPCA spokesperson said: “Dogs are completely reliant on their owners and to not provide for their needs is a breach of the law.
“Providing food, water and a suitable living environment are essential elements of that care.
“The vet highlighted that Rocky had been left without food and water for a prolonged period of time and the suffering Rocky endured as a result is unimaginable.”
Sentencing | four-month prison term, suspended for 12 months; 100 hours of unpaid work. A FIVE-year ban on keeping animals.
CONVICTED | mother and son Susan Shaw, born 10 April 1964, and Jack Wynne, born 13 November 1993, of Blakehall, Skelmersdale WN8 9AZ – starved one dog to death and seriously neglected another.
The body of French bulldog Gucci was found in a mummified state in the bath. She weighed just 3.5kg – around a third of the average weight of a healthy dog of her breed.
Officers then found Violet, who was severely dehydrated and malnourished. At 7.6kg she was also significantly underweight.
The dogs’ feeding bowls were dry and there was no water for them.
An expert vet witness said in a statement read to the court that Violet “was shaking and when offered water drank it quickly.”
A second vet who examined Violet found that she was underweight and had issues with her eyes and skin.
Within three months of vet treatment she gained over 3kg (6.6lb) in weight and her eyes and skin started to improve.
Shaw and Wynne pleaded guilty to five animal welfare offences each.
A snake and a fish were also found at the property and were signed over to the RSPCA’s care.
Sentencing | Shaw: 26-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months. Wynne: three-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months. They were both ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £154. Both are banned from keeping animals for 10 years.
CONVICTED (2024) | Andrew Durkin, born c. 1992, of 4 Farndale Road, Scawsby, Doncaster DN5 8SH – left two starving dogs in a “cruel and nasty state”.
Andrew Durkin received an indefinite ban on keeping all animals
Father-of-one Andrew Durkin pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to his two dogs: a black crossbreed called Bruno and an Akita cross named Cody.
Bruno was in an emaciated condition after being left to starve for months by twisted dad Andrew Durkin
The RSPCA began investigating Durkin in October 2020 after receiving a tip-off that two skinny dogs were being kept at his then address in New Street, Doncaster.
After Durkin failed to make contact with them, the animal charity enlisted the help of the police to enter and search the property.
Cody, who’d been locked in a barren cage with no food or water, was also very thin
Inspectors found both dogs in the kitchen, where the floor was littered with old pizza boxes, and the counters covered in mouldy food and rubbish.
Inspector Kim Greaves said: “A police officer opened the door to the kitchen and it was then that I first saw Bruno, a black crossbreed, male dog around six years old.
“Bruno was loose in the kitchen, and there was no bedding or water for him,” she said.
“Bruno was very friendly, eager and wagging his tail to greet us, but he was wobbly on his legs, and I could clearly see every rib. His spine and hip bones were all sticking up clearly from his fur which was oily with dry skin flakes all over his coat.”
Durkin with Bruno in 2017 photo
Tan and white Akita cross Cody was being kept in a dog crate at the rear of the kitchen. This had no base and only bare wires to stand on. There was no food or water inside the crate. Durkin later explained that Cody was kept in a crate because he was destructive. He too was found to be very underweight.
A vet report read to the court stated that the dogs were believed to have been starved for an extended period – possibly several months.
The report continued: “Any reasonable owner looking at these dogs must have noticed the advanced weight loss and either sought veterinary attention or increased their nutrition.
“The owner’s failure to act has undoubtedly caused a great deal of suffering in this case,
“Dogs experiencing food deprivation are likely to experience this in a similar way to people who suffer with extreme hunger, shakes, anxiety, distress and weakness and lethargy.”
Cody and Bruno were nursed back to health and adopted
Sentencing Durkin a magistrate said it was horrifying that he had put animals “into such a cruel and nasty state”.
Durkin was unrepresented and did not offer any mitigation, although the court heard that he had no previous convictions and was “of good character”. He had agreed to sign over both dogs to the RSPCA.
Cody and Bruno were rehabilitated by the RSPCA and are in loving homes.
Sentencing | 200 hours of unpaid work; £500 court costs. Indefinite ban on keeping all animals which he can’t appeal for at least 10 years.
CONVICTED (2024) | Daryl Torrance, born 12 October 1989, of Sorn Street, Catrine, Mauchline – locked his dog inside a crate with “food out of reach and no water” for several days.
After receiving an anonymous complaint, Scottish SPCA officers who broke into Torrance’s home were met with “an overpowering stench of ammonia in the stairwell”.
The court heard that the officers discovered the dog “in an emaciated and collapsed state”.
The pet, a male brindle and white crossbreed, was locked in a crate lying on a blanket soaked in urine and covered in faeces.
In the opposite corner of the crate was a bowl of untouched dog food that he would have been “unable to reach” and no water.
The court heard that the dog was so weak he couldn’t lift his head and had to be euthanised due to extreme suffering.
A microchip revealed that Torrance – a self-employed painter and decorator – was the registered owner of the pet.
Alistair Duncan, assistant procurator fiscal for North Strathclyde, said: “This was an appalling example of animal cruelty. This poor dog was left abandoned for a significant period and suffered the terrible consequences of Daryl Torrance’s shocking neglect.
“The law protects animals from harm and COPFS will continue to work robustly to ensure anyone who breaks the law faces prosecutorial action.”
Sentencing | six months in prison. Banned from owning animals for ten years.
CONVICTED | Peter Enobong Akpan Esen, born June 1989, of Rosebud Close, Swalwell, Newcastle upon Tyne NE16 3DF – neglected his elderly underweight dog and failed to seek veterinary care for her life-threatening uterine infection.
Esen had left the 13-year-old husky, Alex, unattended for at least 48 hours at his home.
She was suffering from pyometra – a life-threatening condition of the womb commonly found in older unneutered female dogs – and needed emergency surgery.
Her bottom incisor teeth were also worn down to less than half their normal height, which a vet thought could be attributed to her chewing empty cans of dogs food, which were found littered throughout the property.
Esen, who is thought to have links to Nottingham and Manchester, admitted three charges contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006, following a prosecution by the RSPCA and appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates Court for sentencing on 2 April 2024.
The court heard how RSPCA inspectors had taped the front door and the back gate of the house on 14 February 2023 following reports that a dog had been abandoned at the property.
The seals were still intact when a further visit was made by Inspector Rachael Hurst the following day.
In written evidence to the court Inspector Hurst said: “There were empty cans of dog food strewn all over the floor, visible inside the property through the glass in the door and in the rear garden visible through the fence, some of them had been chewed up and teeth marks were visible in them.
“The rear door to the property was wide open. I knocked at the door and there was no response and a black and white husky type dog then appeared in the hallway behind the door. I made enquiries with local residents but nobody knew where the owner of the dog was.
“The following day I attended again. There had been no changes, the tape seals were still intact on the front door and rear gate and the same dog was visible inside so I contacted Northumbria Police for assistance.”
During an initial examination of the dog, the inspector could easily feel her spine, hips and ribs. Her nails were also overgrown and splaying in different directions.
The property was resealed before Inspector Hurst took Alex to a vet. There, she was diagnosed with pyometra and needed emergency life-saving surgery and overnight hospitalisation.
Weighing 20kg against a healthy weight for her breed of between 22kg and 25kg, Alex was given a body condition score of just two out of nine. The vet said it could have taken months for her to have lost so much body fat and muscle.
Her claws were also overgrown indicating inadequate exercise had been provided.
In written evidence the vet said: “The large amount of fluid and pressure in her uterus meant it was at risk of rupture at any time, Had the RSPCA not intervened when they did, the uterus would have ruptured leaving the dog to die a slow and painful death from sepsis.
“I estimate that the symptoms were likely present for one to three days prior to diagnosis. Had this dog lived in an occupied household they would have been identified by the owner so veterinary treatment could be sought. It is unacceptable that this elderly dog was left unchecked for this time period, allowing a serious and life-threatening disease to go unnoticed.”
The court was told that tape seals on the door were still intact when Inspector Hurst visited Esen’s home again on 18 March. There was still no-one at home and Esen couldn’t be reached by phone.
After speaking to someone who knew him, Inspector Hurst eventually met him at the house and an interview was carried out. He admitted that he had not cleaned up and that he’d been away. He said he had messaged a person to provide a tin of food, although he hadn’t checked that they’d done so. He said he didn’t think that Alex was underweight.
Alex was cared for at an RSPCA rehoming centre. Sadly her health deteriorated further and she was found to have mammary tumours, and she was put to sleep on veterinary advice at the end of last year.
Speaking after the case Inspector Hurst said: “Alex was an elderly dog who was being left unattended with a life-threatening condition in an unsuitable and hazardous environment.
“Sadly, she’d been let down by her owner and not been given anything like the care and attention she should have received in her twilight years. It illustrates how important it is to ensure the needs of animals you’re responsible for are always met and why it’s crucial to seek help and advice if you’re no longer able to provide for them.”
Sentencing | 18 month community order with 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 150 hours of unpaid work; £128.60 in costs. Ten-year ban on keeping animals which cannot be contested for five years.
CONVICTED (2024) | Aled Wyn Roberts, born 6 May 1991, most recently of High Street, Tywyn, but originally from Pwlhelli, Caernarfonshire – beat a puppy before choking him to death after the ‘novelty’ of owning a dog wore off.
Roberts admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a black collie called Twm by inflicting blunt force trauma and violence including strangulation.
Prosecuting counsel Gareth Bellis said Roberts was described by a friend as having a history of failing to care properly for animals. He would leave them in cages and forget about them at his dirty and grubby flat. Roberts didn’t know a hamster was dead in a cage.
He had also allegedly smacked his cats.
Details of Aled Roberts’ horrific cruelty towards a defenceless puppy were shared across social media with one animal lover starting a petition to demand justiceSome disturbing allegations were made about both Roberts himself as well as his mother
Mr Bellis said, during a video call with a woman in April 2023, Roberts had complained about the behaviour of his five-month-old border collie.
“The dog was crying in its crate,” the prosecutor said.
The defendant appeared to hit the dog forcefully with his hand. He’d also been witnessed kicking and punching the dog.
The same morning the friend had received another call and grinning Roberts said the dog was dead.
Twm’s body was taken to a vet where Roberts told a receptionist he didn’t know how the pet had died.
Roberts had previously attempted to choke a cat with a headphone lead and screamed at a budgie and refused to feed it, the court heard.
Jailing him for 18 months Judge Timothy Petts at Caernarfon crown court banned him for life from owning any animal.
The judge told Roberts that after acquiring the puppy “you clearly had no idea how to look after him properly. The novelty had worn off.
“You went from neglect to being cruel and violent towards him,” Judge Petts added.
Eventually Twm had been strangled with a chain.
“The suffering he sustained must have been considerable,” the judge said. A post-mortem examination showed internal injuries to the “defenceless” puppy including fractured ribs.
Roberts’ lawyer said his client’s “mental health problems” had led to the sad situation and had urged the judge to consider a suspended sentence.
