CONVICTED (2024) | Toni O’Neill, born May 1990, of Strathroy Park, Ardoyne, North Belfast BT14 7LP – left a cat unattended and without food and water for at least 72 hours.
In June 2024, Belfast City Council received complaints that a cat had been left unattended at O’Neill’s home for several days.
Animal welfare officers entered the property under warrant and seized an underweight cat with no proper access to food and water.
The unnamed cat was taken for examination by a veterinarian who determined that he was suffering from malnutrition.
The fate of the cat was not reported.
Sentencing | four-month prison sentence suspended for one year; legal and other costs totalling £181. Disqualified from owning animals for just two years (expired August 2026).
CONVICTED (2024) | Kelly Louise Hedger, born 26 January 1989, of 4 Fretwell Close, Maltby, Rotherham S66 8QH – left four dogs without food or water in a home so filthy it made an RSPCA officer’s eyes sting.
Hedger had denied four animal welfare offences in relation to two Labradors, a Rottweiler and a Dachshund, but was found guilty at a trial in her absence.
The four dogs were living among broken glass, green mouldy faeces, rubbish and drugs paraphernalia, with hundreds of empty bottles of alcohol found in the garden.
The animals were rescued from Hedger’s home by the RSPCA and the police after she had repeatedly ignored warnings to improve conditions and provide them with a safe and clean environment.
Buster the Rottweiler and Alfie, one of the Labradors, were both described by vets as emaciated.
Two horses, who were also Hedger’s responsibility, had also been left abandoned in a field with no fresh food or water for six days.
The court heard how police, accompanied by RSPCA Inspector Vanessa Reid, carried out a warrant at the property on November 9, 2021, which resulted in the four dogs being removed from the premises because of concerns for their welfare.
The charity’s officers had made multiple visits in previous months and issued Hedger with improvement notices to clean up both the inside and outside of the property, which were filthy and dangerous for the dogs.
In written evidence to the court, Insp Reid described conditions on the day of the warrant. She said: “As you entered the kitchen there was a very strong smell of ammonia and faeces which hit you instantly. There were several completely empty bowls on the floor, and lots of rubbish and belongings and faeces.
“As the dogs were secure in this room, I continued past and up the stairs to check the conditions upstairs. There were four bedrooms, all of which were covered in belongings, rubbish and faeces. There were old faeces which had turned green and mouldy, alongside more fresh ones, so it was clear the dogs had been living like this for some time.
“At the entrance to the bathroom were multiple piles of faeces which contained lots of what appeared to be seeds, this suggested the dogs had possibly been eating bird food. There were no bowls of water present in any of the rooms. As we untied the doors to the living room, the horrendous smell became even stronger, almost overpowering. My eyes began to water and my nose was burning, the smell was so putrid.”
The only liquid in the house was a half-full mop bucket in the kitchen containing filthy brown water and there was no pet food or packaging in the dustbins.
Drug paraphernalia was found lying around the house which also presented a health risk to the animals, the court heard.
Buster was primarily being kept outside in hazardous conditions among household debris, hundreds of empty bottles of alcohol and shards of glass which had shattered from a smashed window hanging off the back door.
The dogs were seized by the police and taken by the RSPCA for immediate veterinary care.
Dinky the dachshund was found to have an untreated inguinal hernia, while Alfie had been left with a large untreated mass on his chest and Buddy had multiple scars from fighting which looked to have happened on more than one occasion.
A vet who examined the dogs described their living conditions as “horrendous,” and said no animal should be in an environment with mouldy faeces and broken glass.
“All four dogs were suffering from starvation and poor nutrition – this is something the owner would have known would be a consequence from not feeding them or providing them with fresh water. To continue the way they are kept is totally unacceptable,” said the vet in her written evidence.
The RSPCA was also told that Hedger kept two horses in a field in Brookhouse Lane in Laughton en le Morthen. When the charity visited the location they found a dark bay gelding and a dun-coloured Shetland-type pony with little grazing, buckets of dirty water and no supplementary hay, food or shelter.
Both horses were monitored by the RSPCA for six days but it became clear that Hedger had not returned at all during that time and they were subsequently seized by the police and placed into the care of the charity.
Numerous attempts were made to interview Hedger between November 2022 and January 2023 but she failed to attend scheduled appointments. Sentencing her, District Judge Spruce said the dogs were in “very poor condition over a period of time as a result of intermittent starvation” but noted her “physical and mental health concerns” and said she needed input from probation services and not a custodial sentence.
In mitigation, Hedger said other people had taken over her property at the time of the offences and Buster belonged to them.
Buster and Dinky were signed over to the RSPCA during the course of the investigation although Hedger denied she owned the dachshund so the RSPCA were able to rehome him once he had been rehabilitated.
Sadly Buster was unable to be rehabilitated after dedicated care and a sad decision was made to put him to sleep.
Following the sentencing hearing and the deprivation order, Buddy has now found a loving new home, but Alfie is still looking. The horses have been relinquished into the RSPCA’s care and they will also be found new homes.
Speaking after sentencing Insp Reid said: “I’m pleased that after three and a half years, this long case has finally concluded. It’s ended a long period of uncertainty for Buddy and Alfie in particular, whom we have legally been unable to rehome until now.
“The dogs had been starved and were living in squalor without food or water, yet Hedger denied repeated warnings to improve their situation.
“The horses were also not receiving anywhere near the appropriate level of care and attention, so we’re pleased these animals also now have the chance of leading much happier lives.”
Sentencing | 18-month community order with 40 rehabilitation activity requirements (RAR) days. ONE-year ban (expired June 2025).
CONVICTED (2024) | Samuel Bodington, born 22 May 1990, of Aire Street, Goole DN14 5QE – strangled a chihuahua and attacked his girlfriend in a drug-fuelled rage.
Image credit: HullLive
Bodington’s girlfriend was looking after the female dog, known as Luna, because she had been cruelly mistreated by a previous owner. Following the vicious attack by junkie Bodington, the tiny pet was left with her tongue hanging out and became “very shaken and jumpy”.
Sentencing was originally imposed in July 2023 after Bodington admitted the intentional strangulation of his girlfriend and causing unnecessary suffering to her pet dog. He was given a 16-month suspended prison sentence but this was activated in late March 2024 after he repeatedly failed to attend appointments with the probation service.
Michael Forrest, prosecuting, told the original hearing that Bodington’s girlfriend had been looking after Luna.
Bodington arrived at her home in Goole at 7.30pm on April 21, 2023, for a party where everyone was drinking. He and his girlfriend took Pregabalin tablets obtained from a drug dealer.
“The defendant’s behaviour changed like a switch had been flipped,” said Mr Forrest.
Bodington became agitated and he was hallucinating and being loud and aggressive, causing the woman to become scared.
“She told him to leave but he didn’t leave,” said Mr Forrest.
Bodington began calling her names. She was lying on a sofa with the dog when Bodington launched himself at her and dragged them both to the floor. While they were on the floor, he took hold of her throat and the neck of the dog.
He squeezed the woman’s neck, causing her to gasp for air, and he held on to the dog’s neck, causing her tongue to hang out of her mouth.
The woman forced Bodington to release his grip. She alerted the police and Bodington was arrested.
“Luna was very shaken and jumpy,” said Mr Forrest. The woman later said that Bodington’s attack on her was unprovoked.
During the original hearing Judge John Thackray KC told Bodingonn: “Your behaviour on the evening in question was appalling. Your victim must have been terrified. The dog must have been terrified.
“This could have been so much more serious. Sometimes it only takes a few seconds from when someone is strangled to them losing consciousness.”
Sentencing | 16-month immediate custodial (previously suspended), Banned from keeping animals for just two years (expired July 2025).
CONVICTED (2024) | Simon Thomas, born 29 August 1982, of 1 Pembury Place, Hackney, London E5 8LX – caught on camera repeatedly beating an XL Bully with a shovel.
Horrific footage captured by a resident on Wednesday 8 November 2023 showed a man, later identified as Simon Thomas, repeatedly striking the young dog in the head with a large tool in a rear garden at a block of flats.
Volunteers from XL Bully Rescue and Foundation went to the animal’s aid. They were joined at the scene by police officers.
The dog, whom rescuers named Zeus, was taken by police to an animal hospital where he was treated for severe head injuries, bleed to the brain, smashed teeth and fractured ribs.
Thomas later handed himself into into a police station and was ultimately charged with animal cruelty.
Traumatised but friendly Zeus, who was only around 8 months old, was euthanised by police because of breed
Zeus, seemingly good-natured despite his ordeal, was initially held in police kennels pending their investigation, but was ultimately put to sleep because of his breed.
In court Thomas pleaded not guilty, with his defence being based on claims that he was not identifiable in the video footage. He was convicted after a short trial, however.
His sentencing hearing was on 2 February 2024.
Despite public outrage over the sadistic cruelty inflicted on a helpless animal and a Lady Freethinker petition urging the British justice system to impose an appropriate sentence on Thomashe walked free with his sole punishment a contribution towards costs and a ONE-year ban on keeping dogs.
A Met Police spokesperson said: “After a viral video of a man beating a dog, Ace, with a shovel, Status Dogs Unit officers arrested and charged a male. He was remanded and pleaded not guilty.
“At trial the charge was altered to a Section 4 (2) person responsible for allowing suffering, as he claimed it wasn’t him hitting the dog. He admitted that the dog was his.”
Speaking about the case animal rescue volunteers said that the brutal attack on Zeus was one of the worst things they’d ever witnessed.
The group said that the abandonment and abuse of XL Bullies had skyrocketed off the back of the UK Government’s banning of the breed, which was announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in September 2023.
One volunteer said: “Because [XL Bullies] are on the banned list, people are getting rid of them and this is where they’re ending up. There are loads more like him out there.”
The group said the government’s pledge to ban the breed had immediately sparked a rise in the dogs being abandoned and abused, with some owners threatened they will be evicted if they do not get rid of their dogs.
They said that many had been given away for free leading to them ending up in the hands of “the wrong people”.
One volunteer, who said rescues like theirs were overwhelmed, broke into tears as she described some of the cases they had been dealing with. She said: “We seized one from police last Monday that had been chained up outside and beaten.
“Yesterday we had two cases where they were thrown out of a car and abandoned.”
Sadly it is growing increasingly difficult to find safe places for the dogs.
“We are full,” the rescuer said. “No kennels are taking them now. Where do these animals go?
“There are hundreds and hundreds of XL Bullies suffering, and being put to sleep, and being abandoned.
“If something does not happen now, we are going to be seeing much, much more of this. This is absolute animal brutality.”
On the rise in attacks by the breed, she said: “It is not the dogs, it is the owners.
“These are dogs that are being beaten, severely abused, and when we take them after two days they are a completely different dog.
“They show no aggression, they don’t want to harm anybody, they just want you to love them.”
Sentencing | contribution towards costs. 12-month ban on keeping dogs (expired February 2025).
CONVICTED (2024) | Karl W Jenkins, born c. 1975, of Regents Way, Winsford CW7 2YQ – left a dog to suffer instead of taking him to a vet.
Welshman Jenkins was banned from owning dogs for just one year after causing suffering to a bull lurcher named Buddy, who is believed to have suffered an unexplained lip injury.
Karl Jenkins’ abused dog, Buddy, whom is thought to have recovered after being removed from him
While the precise details of Buddy’s condition has not yet been disclosed by the mainstream media, there is evidence on social media that Jenkins and his teenage son (whom we can’t yet name due to his age) like to indulge in the persecution of wild animals for fun.
Taking into account his breed, it is possible that Buddy was injured after being forced to fight foxes or badgers but this must be treated as pure speculation at this stage.
Jenkins with his ‘chip off the old block’ teenage son, whom we cannot yet name
We are advised by relatives of Karl Jenkins that Buddy recovered but this is unconfirmed.
In court, Jenkins admitted failing to act on October 16, 2022, when he didn’t take the poorly dog to see a vet for treatment, causing him to suffer.
Sentencing | 120 hours of unpaid work, to be completed within 12 months. Court costs of £120 and £114 victim surcharge. Disqualified from owning and keeping dogs, as well has being able to control or influence how they are kept, for 12 months (expired January 2025)
CONVICTED (2023) | Tyrese Dawood, born 21 February 2001, of 32 Wendover Road, Urmston, Manchester M41 9SH – arranged to have his 11-week-old puppy’s ears cropped.
Tyrese Dawood was banned from keeping animals after allowing his American bully’s ears to be cropped
Dawood initially claimed his American bully Draco had been stolen when it was found he had been illegally mutilated, but ultimately pleaded guilty to allowing a dog’s ears to be cropped, contrary to Section 5 of the Animal Welfare Act.
Draco, who has been renamed Obi, recovered from his ordeal and has been rehomed
The court heard that Draco was taken to the vets for vaccinations on February 2, 2021, with his ears fully intact. Fourteen days later, Draco was taken to the vet again but this time his ears had been cropped.
The vet said in their statement: “The surgery appeared to be either professionally done or completed by someone with plenty of experience.
Although Draco was not suffering at the time of the examination, the mutilation of the ears was unnecessary and against the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The ears were previously in perfect condition.”
When visited by the RSPCA, Dawood told inspector Emma Dingley that he had bought Draco for £2,000 but claimed that the dog had been stolen and returned with his ears cropped.
Inspector Dingley made enquiries about the theft with a store where the theft allegedly happened, but did not find any evidence. The police were also not made aware of a theft.
In a statement given to the court, inspector Dingley said: “The vet states when he challenged the male regarding the ears the male shrugged his shoulders and said his brother arranged for it to happen.
“Later that day I interviewed Mr Dawood at his home address contemporaneously under caution, with a solicitor present. Mr Dawood provided pictures of Draco and some scissors he used to remove the staples from Draco ears.”
An expert vet who examined Draco said in a statement: “Tyrese Dawood indicates that on February 8, 2021 he was aware that Draco was experiencing pain as a consequence of wounds on the ears. The wounds also had metal staples applied to them.
“Despite being aware Draco was in pain, Dawood removed the metal staples from the ears himself rather than seeking veterinary advice and treatment, such as appropriate pain relief.
“In my opinion Draco was caused to suffer due to Tyrese Dawood failing to seek prompt veterinary advice and treatment for the ear wounds which he knew to be causing Draco pain.
“Suffering would have been experienced by this animal via mechanisms of pain and irritation which is likely to have persisted for a period of at least three days, possibly longer.”
Speaking after the sentencing, inspector Dingley said: “Ear cropping is a horrific, immoral, unnecessary and repulsive practice which has absolutely no benefits for the dogs and can cause them lifelong health, behavioural and social problems. This is done purely for cosmetic purposes.
“We would urge the public and anyone looking to buy a puppy to remember this is an illegal procedure, which has a hugely negative impact for the dogs themselves.”
Draco has now been renamed Obi and has been happily rehomed.
Sentencing | ordered to pay a £500 fine, £2,000 costs and £50 victim surcharge. Two-year ban on keeping animals (expired July 2025).
CONVICTED (2023) | backyard breeder Gurminder Singh Heer, born c. 17 December 1980, of 207A Swan Lane, Stoke, Coventry CV2 4GE – kept a starving dog and her seven young puppies in deplorable conditions.
Sasha was starved and chained to a fridge after giving birth to seven pups
When RSPCA inspector Ben Jones attended the home of Gurminder Singh aka Gurminder Singh Heer on October 12, 2022, he found Presa Canario Sasha tethered to a fridge freezer by a metal chain. She was extremely underweight with her spine, ribs and pelvic bones visible. Opposite her were seven young puppies, around three weeks old, in a rusty metal box.
With Heer’s permission, the RSPCA inspector took Sasha and her puppies to the charity’s Birmingham Animal Hospital. Due to their poor condition, all eight dogs were admitted for treatment.
The vet who examined Sasha found her to weigh 25.7kg (56.7lb) – nearly half the 40kg (88lb) healthy average for her breed.
As she was too weak to feed her puppies, they were weaned early.
In a statement to the court, the vet said: “Although some loss in body weight is expected during lactation, it is imperative that an owner feeds the dog appropriately to ensure this is minimised.
“Due to the extent of her poor body condition and the lack of other pre-existing conditions detected on blood work, which may have exacerbated this lack of body condition – it can be confirmed that this dog had been suffering through a process of a lack of appropriate nutrition. The duration of this is approximately three weeks, though likely longer.”
Fed a proper diet Sasha returned to healthy weight for her breed
The court heard that within a month of being in the RSPCA’s care, Sasha gained 6kg in weight.
Asked by a magistrate if he had booked a vet appointment for Sasha, Heer said he had booked one for two weeks after she had given birth. When asked why he didn’t take her sooner, he told the court: “I didn’t want her to be kept away from the pups. Why I pleaded guilty is because ‘yes I should have fed her more food’.”
In mitigation, Heer told the court he was not a bad dog owner and that he had £222 worth of dog food in his fridge which he had been feeding Sasha.
Magistrates noted Heer’s refusal to accept responsibility for his actions and his complete lack of remorse, but decided not to impose an immediate custodial sentence.
The seven puppies have all since been rehomed by the RSPCA. Sasha has now been renamed Flora and is up for adoption at the charity’s Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre in Colwyn Bay, Wales.
Sentencing | eight-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months; 80 hours of unpaid work; £400 costs and a £128 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping dogs for just two years (expired July 2025)
CONVICTED (2023) | Samuel Aaron Rigby, born 3 January 1997, of 6 Riverside, Horton, Ilminster TA19 9RS – for the mistreatment of an elderly dog.
Sam Rigby failed to feed his dog a proper diet and left his eye condition untreated
Rigby, who works as a tree surgeon and has links to Taunton, admitted failing to ensure that the needs of the 11-year-old dog, known as Bella, were met.
The RSPCA investigated after receiving a report of concern about Bella’s welfare.
Bella was in such poor condition she was put to sleep
She was examined by a vet who found her to be thin and lethargic with a tucked in abdomen and prominent hip, spinal and shoulder bones.
She also had staining of her hair consistent with frequent licking due to irritation, most notably over her back end and feet, with associated hair loss and thickening and roughening of the skin.
The vet concluded it was most likely due to a flea infestation that would have caused annoyance and irritation preventing sleep and comfortable rest.
More detailed examination revealed both sets of eyelids were thickened and crusting indicating longer term skin disease.
Her right eye was held partially shut, indicating probable pain, while the left eye had clouding of the surface of the eyeball.
Examination of the abdomen revealed a firm grapefruit sized region suspected of being an inflamed bladder.
Bella also suffered muscle loss, mammary masses, dental disease, inflammation of her toes and reduced motion in her elbow and shoulder, while she was passing red urine.
X rays also revealed abnormalities within her chest, abdomen and spine.
Sadly they decided Bella had to be put to sleep because of the severity of her condition.
Sentencing | fined £460 and ordered to pay £184 victim surcharge and a contribution of £400 towards the RSPCA’s prosecution costs. Two -year ban on having anything to do with dogs (expired May 2025).
CONVICTED (2023) | Paul Smith, born c. 1955, of Percy Court, North Shields NE29 6JG – left his two Bichon Frise dogs with severely rotting teeth and fur matted with faeces and failed to treat a Chinese water dragon’s ailments.
Smith pleaded guilty to three animal welfare offences in relation to dogs Bobby and Molly and a reptile named Charlie kept at his home in Percy Court. The RSPCA rescued all three pets in January 2023.
Bobby, aged 7, had to have 14 of his teeth removed such was the extent of his dental disease. Eleven-year-old Molly’s coat was so badly matted that every movement tugged on her skin and she was unable to see out of her left eye.
Smith also neglected a Chinese water dragon called Charlie, who had an injury to the tip of his tail.
The court heard how RSPCA animal rescue officer Heather Wade had visited Smith’s home on January 15, 2023, to investigate a report of concern for his pets.
“There was an extremely unpleasant smell throughout the property and no flooring on either the hallway or living area floor,” she said.
“The house appeared run down, messy and very dirty with brown grime over most surfaces. In the living area, there were two dogs which Mr Smith informed me were Molly and Bobby.
“Both dogs looked as though they should have been white in colour, but had patches of brown matted fur all over their face and bodies. I was approached by Molly and could see the claws on one of her front feet were very overgrown.
“Bobby seemed extremely uncomfortable and was constantly rubbing his face on various surfaces throughout the visit.”
A vivarium housing a ten-year-old male Chinese water dragon called Charlie was also in the living area. The officer immediately noticed an abnormality with the reptile’s upper jaw/nose area and saw that part of his tail was missing. She was told by Smith that the reptile was unable to see the glass and kept hitting it.
When asked when the dogs had last been seen by a groomer or vet Smith said he could not remember and was suffering from functional memory loss.
Bobby went on to make a good recovery in the RSPCA’s care, but sadly the decision was made to put Charlie and Molly to sleep to prevent further suffering.
Molly had Cushing’s disease and had stopped eating, with tests showing a deterioration in her renal function, while Charlie also had severe mouth rot to his nose and upper and lower jaw on both sides.
Speaking after the case, RSPCA inspector Helen Bestwick who led the charity’s investigation said: “All three animals were clearly in a terrible and unacceptable state and this would have been obvious to their owner for months, yet veterinary help had not been sought.
“It’s imperative that people reach out and ask for support at an early stage, rather than letting animals suffer unnecessary neglect in circumstances like this.”
Sentencing | suspended eight-week prison sentence in court. Banned from keeping dogs and reptiles for two years (expired April 2025).
CONVICTED (2023) | Robert Stewart Dyer-Sheppard, born 30 June 1977, previously of Linkwood Crescent, Drumchapel, but now believed to be in the Haghill area of Dennistoun, Glasgow* – moved out of his home, leaving behind eight guinea pigs to starve to death.
Dyer-Sheppard pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering by failing to provide adequate food and water for the eight guinea pigs.
When the guinea pigs were found, seven of them had passed away and the surviving female, named Ollie, was emaciated.
Scottish SPCA chief inspector Jennifer Connolly said, “On 18 April 2022 we received a call to our animal helpline regarding concerns that a number of guinea pigs had been left alone at the address for several days.
“We contacted the local council to gain access and discovered Sheppard had moved out on 8 April 2022. Meanwhile our animal helpline received another call, this time from a council employee who had attended the property to change the locks, and discovered a number of dead guinea pigs on the veranda area.
“We attended and discovered the bodies of six Guinea pigs on the veranda. There was a large amount of guinea pig faeces everywhere. There were two empty bowls and an empty cake tin on the floor. No food or water was present.
“There was a plastic cage sitting on top of a hutch containing a further two guinea pigs which was closed, meaning they had no way to leave the cage. One of the animals inside was dead.
“We immediately removed the surviving guinea pig, named Ollie, to a clean pet carrier.
“Ollie was taken to one of our centres for veterinary treatment where she was found to be underweight, but bright and alert.
“In our care she quickly regained weight and has since found a loving new home where she can get the love and attention she deserves.
“We sought a veterinary opinion on how the other seven guinea pigs died and it is estimated they succumbed to dehydration. It’s estimated it would take somewhere between three and five days for a Guinea pig to die of dehydration or over a week to die of starvation assuming water was available.
“Given the timescales of when Sheppard vacated the property we assume there must have been a supply of food and water left initially. However, these resources would not have been evenly shared between the animals and the weaker animals would have passed away more quickly.
“We are pleased that Sheppard received a ban but, given the level of neglect these animals were subjected to, we would have liked for it to have been for a longer period of time.
“Any reasonable owner would not leave their animals unsupervised like this for such an extended period of time and would ensure that someone trustworthy and reliable was responsible for tending to them.”
Sentencing | 75-day restriction of liberty order. Two-year ban on owning animals (expired April 2025).
