CONVICTED (2024) | hare coursers George William Miller, born July 1991, of Loupsfell Drive, Morecambe LA4 4SB and Lewis Sheridan, born 21 October 1986, of 128 Thicketford Road, Bolton BL2 2LU
The pair were seen hare coursing near the Lincolnshire villages of Twenty and West Pinchbeck on Friday 13 October 2023. They were spotted walking across arable land with their two long dogs. The dogs -one beige in colour and the other black – were seen chasing and catching hares.
Caught red handed: convicted hare courser Lewis Sheridan
The men had arrived in the area in a silver Skoda car which they had left near to a farm in the area. They had tried to hide the car behind some foliage.
On arriving back at the car, the men were challenged by the local farmer who had tried to block the car in with farm machinery. In a bid to escape, the Skoda was driven at speed across grassed areas and onto the A151.
Sheridan and Miller were arrested when their car was seen and stopped by officers from Lincolnshire Police’s Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT), around an hour later.
The men’s car was seized along with the two dogs and equipment including three thermal cameras, a video camera and four mobile phones.
Information obtained from the recording devices and mobile phones pinpointed the men’s unlawful activities and provided evidence of their offending.
During interview the men lied that they had the landowner’s permission to undertake pest control in the area.
On 1 May 2024 Sheridan and Miller pleaded guilty to hunting a wild mammal with a dog, contrary to Schedule 1 of the Hunting Act 2004.
Both men relinquished ownership of their dogs who have subsequently been rehomed.
Sentencing | 10-year Criminal Behaviour Orders banning them from entering onto any private land in Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire or Nottinghamshire during hare coursing season (31 July to 30 April) with a sighthound, ground, long dog, lurcher type dog or crossbreed or be in the company of any other people with that type of dog. Ordered to pay a total of £4,575.50 in full by 30 May 2024.
George Miller, who’s originally from Lancaster (Slyne Road) with links to Heysham, has a roofing company called Lancashire and Cumbria Roofing Ltd.
In March 2021 Miller received a three-year ban on breeding and selling dogs after being convicted of illegally trading puppies. He was prosecuted by Animal Protection Services following their investigation into his activities.
Lewis Sheridan is also a roofer. His wife runs a dog grooming company called Your Faithful Friend Limited, which operates from premises on Bury Road, Bolton BL2 6BB.
CONVICTED (2024) | Richard Collier, born c. 1994, of Meadow Close, Woodley, Stockport SK6 1QZ – hurled a cat through the air and onto the floor, causing fatal injuries.
Angry after the family cat, Bella, hissed at him, Collier said he launched her upwards while she was in her bed with her landing on the floor. He then picked her up but Bella had a seizure and died in his arms.
Woodley locals took to social media as news of Collier’s horrific animal cruelty spread
In a basis of plea document Collier stated: “I was in the living room with my partner and children. Bella [the cat] was on the back of the sofa near my partner. She grabbed it and threw her to the floor and it ran into the soft cat tent.
“Bella hissed at me, I don’t know why but I threw it up into the air and she landed on the floor. I thought it would just get a shock. It had a seizure and died in my arms.”
Collier said he was ‘very upset and sorry’, claiming he didn’t mean to hurt the cat. He said he had been diagnosed with ‘intermittent explosive disorder’.
In a statement, his former partner described Collier’s behaviour as ‘disgusting’.
Reading her statement to the court, prosecutor Ewan Cooper said: “It’s not normal to behave in this way, it is not normal for kids to see that and they’ll be affected by it.
“It’s not normal to go from sitting as a family to killing an innocent cat by smacking it against the floor.”
Mitigating, Saul Komish said Collier ‘lost his temper’, adding: “He accepted that he lost his temper as the cat went inside and threw the cat bed up into the air causing it to have a seizure.
“It was the family cat, they had it for six years, he was close to the cat. He is clearly remorseful.”
Mr Komish said Collier had no intention of injuring the cat, but the consequences of his actions were ‘clearly foreseeable’. He added that he has had no contact with his partner or children since the attack.
“He would say it was not a deliberate attempt to cause injury, but it was a momentary lapse in judgement,” the solicitor added.
Sentencing | 12-week sentence, suspended for 12 months; 100 hours of unpaid work and 20 days of rehab; £239 court costs. No mention of a ban.
CONVICTED (2024) | Lynn Haydon-Williams, born 6 April 1960, of Redgate, Hyde SK14 5DE, and Charlotte Haydon-Williams, born 17 November 1988, of Cheetham Fold Road, Hyde SK14 5DF – for the neglect of multiple animals in the care of their sanctuary.
Mother and daughter Lynn and Charlotte Haydon-Williams were found guilty of a number of offences following a trial on Thursday, March 28, 2024.
The court heard how neglected horses, including one suffering with multiple tumours, lame goats, pigs with hoof problems and an arthritic coatimundi were found at the Haywill Animal Centre by the RSPCA.
During 2020 and 2021, the RSPCA identified animal welfare concerns at sites in Glossop, Derbyshire and Broadbottom in Manchester.
The RSPCA had visited the rescue on previous occasions during which they had offered support and advice to the founder/owner Lynn Haydon-Williams.
In a statement read to the court RSPCA inspector Jessica Araujo said she recalled attending the centre on May 11, 2021, when she saw “goats with overgrown feet that were struggling to walk normally, grossly obese pigs, a coati that appeared to have small masses on its underside and a horse with overgrown feet”.
Inspector Araujo continued: “I saw a number of large goats with overgrown hooves that appeared to have difficulty walking normally or walking at all. There was also a black pygmy goat who looked quite thin and you could feel his spine and hips when you put your hands on him.”
Among the animals taken into the care of the RSPCA was Gemma, a grey bay mare, who was covered in skin tumours. A vet later decided that the kindest course of action was to put her to sleep to end her suffering.
Another horse, called Casper, who was suffering from laminitis was also, sadly, put to sleep, as was a pot-bellied pig, who was suffering from overgrown feet.
An emaciated pygmy goat and the coatimundi, who was in poor health, passed away later.
Several of the horses required treatment for foot and hoof ailments.
In mitigation for Lynn Haydon-Williams, the court was told she previously did “a lot of good work for many people for a long time”. It was said that Covid impacted the rescue’s finances and lessened her ability to look after the animals. It was said that she had not deliberately mistreated the animals.
The court heard that Charlotte Haydon-Williams suffered from health problems which affected her care of the horse. The court accepted she was not responsible for the care of the other animals.
Lynn Haydon-Williams initially pleaded not guilty to 15 charges, but she was convicted of 13 offences after a trial.
Charlotte Haydon-Williams pleaded not guilty to the same 15 charges and was convicted of three offences relating to the care of a horse. It was ruled she had no case to answer on the remaining 12 charges.
The surviving animals – a horse and 10 goats – will be rehomed by the RSPCA.
Speaking after the sentencing, Inspector Araujo said: “This owner was given ample time and opportunity to get the help she needed to give these animals the veterinary care and treatment they needed. Sadly, she did not take action and the animals suffered for longer than they had to.”
Sentencing | Lynn Haydon-Williams: six-month custodial suspended for 18 months; 240 hours of unpaid work; £240 costs and £156 victim surcharge. She was given a lifetime disqualification from keeping animals except for dogs and cats.
Charlotte Haydon-Williams: 12-month community order; fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs and £114 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping horses for three years (expires March 2027).
CONVICTED (2024) | Carlton James Chesney-Mitchell, born 13 September 2002, of Greenbrow Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester M23 2FT – caught on CCTV beating his dog.
Vicious Carlton Chesney-Mitchell was convicted of animal cruelty in relation to a Belgian Malinois called Anne by inflicting physical abuse on her.
The RSPCA were alerted to footage of the incident which had been posted on Facebook. It showed a man kicking and throwing a medium-sized brown dog in June last year.
Aside from physical pain, the RSPCA said Annie may suffer life-long psychological damage as a consequence of her previous owner’s violence towards her
The video shows a male in dark trousers, a blue hoodie and a black balaclava cycling towards an open garden from a field. He then throws the bike down and can be heard shouting “come here”. A dog comes into the footage before it is kicked in the face. The man then entices the dog back and kicks her again.
The man, later identified to be Chesney-Mitchell, is then heard saying: “Stop pissing me off and fucking running off, stop it” before striking Annie twice with his right hand and grabbing her by the neck with both hands and throwing her in the air. Annie can then be seen spun in mid-air before landing on her feet and running out onto the field. The male can be heard stating “Fucking piece of shit”, as he mounts his bicycle and cycles off.
Inspector Deborah Beats, who investigated, said Annie thankfully wasn’t physically injured:
Deborah said: “I reached out to those on social media who had information on this video and after a false start, I was able to speak to a member of the public who informed me the dog and the owner were at their house.
“I met Chesney-Mitchell at the member of the public’s address along with his two year old Belgian Malinois Annie. After interviewing the owner, I took Annie to be checked over by a vet where thankfully it was found that she didn’t have any injuries.”
Original post with video shared to Facebook by a concerned resident
The court heard how a vet report stated that Annie was very nervous on examination. It found that Annie would have suffered physically momentarily during the kicking, throwing and hitting episodes captured in the footage, however, the emotional impact may have a life-long effect.
The report continued: “This is shown with Annie’s fear behaviours such as cowering away from the person in the video before the second kick and cowering when her head was approached for examination. These fear behaviours along with being constantly shouted at would have caused her mental suffering.
“It is likely Annie will have been in pain for several days after this incident and will have suffered at the very least mild soft tissue injuries. This will have caused discomfort when trying to walk and display normal behaviours such as playing.
“In the video presented I can identify that the person of interest inflicts harm on Annie on at least five occasions in the form of kicking, hitting and throwing.
“They caused unnecessary suffering on multiple accounts by inflicting pain on Annie. There was no reasonable explanation for the outbursts on her visible within the video footage, as Annie was not inflicting harm on the person in question or anyone else.”
A deprivation order was imposed for Annie meaning she can now be rehomed by the RSPCA.
Deborah added: “This was a shocking and completely unnecessary attack on this poor dog. I’m glad this case has concluded and Annie can now find the loving forever home she deserves.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 100 hours of unpaid work; £200 in costs and a £114 victim surcharge. TWO-year ban on keeping dogs (expires March 2026).
CONVICTED (2024) | Robert Lay, born c. 1991, from Heywood, Rochdale – killed a cat in a washing machine.
Lay put the cat, called Buddy, into the washing machine then switched it onto a wash cycle. He then dumped the animal’s horrifically injured body behind a bush in a cemetery.
In court Lay pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal on or around February 11, 2023, at an address in the Queensbury area of Bradford.
Phillip Brown, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, said the facts show an individual had committed a “sadistic act of cruelty”.
In a statement, the RSPCA said they were alerted to Buddy’s killing after Lay admitted to it in a Facebook chat group.
Messages showed Lay had said he had committed the act because the cat had scratched him and his girlfriend at the time had told him to do so or else she would end their relationship.
After the cat’s body was discovered, he was taken to a vet who was able to find the owner through the cat’s microchip.
The RSPCA said: “The court heard that a post mortem examination showed Buddy had a number of injuries, including fractures, bruising and skin lacerations consistent with being placed in a washing machine on a high heat.”
An expert vet’s witness statement, presented to the court, said Buddy had attempted to grip onto the drum with his claws as it was going around on a program ‘likely of high heat’ in the washing machine.
It said: “The cat would have experienced suffering via mechanisms of fear, distress and pain for a period of at least several minutes, possibly longer.
The court was told Lay had associated with a group while living in alternative accommodation to where he is now.
In mitigation, Lay’s lawyer claimed the group took advantage of his client’s significant disabilities.
Speaking after a sentencing hearing, RSPCA Inspector Natalie Taylor, who investigated the case, said: “This was a deeply distressing case involving intentional harm and cruelty to a defenceless cat. It is heart-breaking to think about the pain and suffering Buddy endured.
“We are grateful to the people who worked with us on getting this case to court.”
Sentencing | 14-week custodial suspended for 12 months; 30 days of rehabilitation activity; ordered to pay a total of £550. Banned from keeping any animal as a pet for life.
CONVICTED (2024) | Bethany Butterworth, born 23 October 1996, of Glaister Lane, Breightmet, Bolton BL2 5BS but with links to Blackpool – abandoned a maliciously injured elderly dog to starve to death.
Bull breed Reuben, who also had five fractured ribs and multiple missing teeth, was found wrapped in a duvet cover in a storage box by RSPCA officers at Butterworth’s home in March 2023.
Butterworth had moved out of the property but said she had been returning daily to feed him.
RSPCA inspector Beth Fazackerley and animal rescue officer Ross Allan visited the property to investigate a report of concern about the welfare of a dog.
In written evidence, inspector Fazackerley said: “We received no reply at the front door so we walked around the side and back of the house to see if we could see anybody or any animals.
“In the garden I saw a seemingly unused dog crate and dog bowl and an empty fish tank.
“There was a black storage box and inside we found a deceased, white and brown bull breed type dog wrapped inside a duvet cover.
“I rang the police for assistance and made further local enquiries and was informed that the tenant used to have three dogs of varying descriptions.
“One of those descriptions matched the deceased dog we had observed in the storage box and was called Reuben.”
The inspector was given a mobile number for Butterworth who initially told her that if there was a dead dog in her garden she did not know about it and that someone must have put it there.
Photographs of Reuben’s body showed his prominent backbone, pelvis, and ribs.
The abdominal area behind them was sunken and severe muscle wastage could be seen over the spine of the dog’s shoulder blade.
Dark brown soiling of the fur around his mouth, chin, feet, and hind legs was also visible.
Other images showed him inside the property lying on the floor surrounded by piles of faeces.
A post-mortem report found Reuben had an untreated skin lesion, five fractured ribs, three of which were in a later stage of healing, and multiple missing teeth – with those that remained showing severe wear and tear and root exposure.
A plastic bag and a piece of acrylic nail were also found in his stomach.
It said there were no underlying medical reasons to explain his emaciated state which would have taken “weeks or months to develop”.
A vet who gave written evidence in the case and saw the post mortem report, said: “The presence of this material in the stomach and oesophagus suggests that as recently as a few hours before death that this dog was able to physically eat.
“The presence of non-food items with no nutritional value is found more frequently in dogs suffering from starvation than those with severe weight loss from medical causes.
“Rib fractures in dogs are usually the result of major blunt force trauma to the chest wall.
“Breaking of ribs requires significant force, for example a road traffic accident or other major trauma such as a kick from a horse, a high rise fall, or non-accidental injury or deliberate physical assault.
“Given that Reuben’s injuries were not examined at the time of the injury a lot of these associated injuries may have healed and not have been evident at the time of post mortem making differentiation of cause difficult.”
The vet said the nine-year-old dog was suffering from malnutrition to the point of emaciation, which was likely to have developed over several weeks to months.
She said pain from the untreated rib fractures was likely to have been present for a minimum of two weeks – and potentially several weeks – and his severe dental disease for a minimum of around 12 months.
She said any reasonable dog owner would avoid leaving their pet alone for more than a few hours every day, even less if their animal was obviously ill or injured and would seek veterinary advice when they noticed a reduction in appetite, weight loss or difficulties with mobility.
When interviewed by the RSPCA inspector, Butterworth admitted that she was responsible for Reuben but claimed she was returning daily to feed him.
She said he had gone through stages of not eating in the past and that his weight used to fluctuate because of this.
He had lost muscle and “wouldn’t walk much because of his age”, but that in the weeks and days leading up to his death she had no concerns.
She said she had returned to the house in February to find him dead and then put his body in the storage box in the back garden.
In defence, the court was told that Butterworth had mental health issues.
Butterworth had admitted causing unnecessary suffering by failing to meet Reuben’s needs at an earlier hearing on December 14, after being arrested on a warrant.
Speaking after the case Inspector Fazackerley said: “This was an extremely upsetting investigation and one that will stay with me and my colleague for a long time.
“Reuben was an elderly dog with deteriorating health who should have received the appropriate care and veterinary support in his twilight years.
“Instead, he was left to waste away, to the point of starvation, over a considerable period of time, and then disposed of in the garden and forgotten about.”
Sentencing | 12-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months; 25 rehabilitation activity days. FIVE-year ban applicable to all animals (expires February 2029).
CONVICTED (2024) | Sara Holland, 27 (born 29 August 1996), of 33 Garden Street, Hyde, Tameside, Greater Manchester SK14 4AU – left a rabbit to starve to death in a filthy hutch.
In February 2022 the RSPCA were called to Sara Holland’s home in Garden Street, Hyde, due to concerns over the welfare of a pet rabbit. There they found the young female Lionhead rabbit called Bing dead in her hutch.
The ‘filthy’ hutch had no food or water in it.
A post-mortem found the animal had died of ‘prolonged malnutrition.’
In a written statement RSPCA Inspector Beth Fazackerley said she visited the property on February 22, 2022, and was shown into the back garden by Holland.
“Against the rear wall of the property within the garden stood a large, pale blue two-storey hutch. The hutch was approximately a metre from the rear door into the kitchen” Ms Fazackerley said.
“The top floor of the hutch was bare except for some faeces and an overturned log tunnel/bridge-type structure. Attached to the mesh door pointing into the hutch was a roller-ball water bottle. It was completely empty.
“On the bottom floor of the hutch was an empty and dry green bowl, an empty and dry human food tray, multiple faecal droppings – collectively covering around a third of the bare wooden floor – and a rabbit laying on its right side on top of some faeces on the right-hand side of the hutch.”
Holland told Ms Fazackerley that she had ‘gone outside the previous evening and found Bing dead.
She said she assumed the rabbit had suffered a heart attack as she’d been scared by one of her dogs a few days previously.
She allowed the inspector to take Bing to a vet so she could be examined.
The vet gave the animal a body score condition of one out of five.
They said there were no obvious signs of bruising, swelling or abnormalities of the mouth which would explain any potential reason for the rabbit having difficulty in eating.
“Suffering has occurred as a result of the poor body condition, which will have caused debilitation, hunger and extreme weakness. I believe this suffering will have occurred over several days,” said the vet.
The post-mortem showed the rabbit had had ‘severe’ and ‘chronic’ muscle loss, soiling of the fur around her feet and thickening of the skin on the hocks, which both pointed to unhygienic living conditions.
No digestible material was found in her stomach and there were no pathological causes which could explain her weight loss, with ‘prolonged malnutrition’ the most likely cause of her death, said the report.
Holland was found guilty in her absence of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and failing to take steps to ensure the needs of an animal were met to the extent required by good practice.
The court was told she had mental health issues and had had relationship troubles in the past.
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days; fined £120. Disqualified from keeping any animal for a period of 10 years.
CONVICTED (2024) | Colin Birch, born c 1956, of Auden Close, Clayton, Manchester M11 4WD – for the mistreatment of several reptiles.
Birch was found guilty in his absence of two offences. The first – which took place in February 2022 – involved the neglect of three iguanas and a spiny-tailed lizard; while the other involved the neglect of five further iguanas in June 2022.
The RSPCA first visited Birch’s flat in February 2022 after concerns were raised about the welfare of ‘lizards’ in the property.
The RSPCA officer – accompanied by police – entered the property and found three iguanas and a lizard being kept in very worrying conditions.
One of the iguanas was roaming free around the dangerously cluttered and overheated flat and another two iguanas plus a spiny-tailed lizard were crammed into a very small fish tank with only rotten or dried up food.
There was no source of UV (crucial to the health of iguanas), no temperature controls and no thermometer.
Given these conditions, the police seized all four reptiles and after being checked by a vet, the RSPCA organised for them to be cared for at a specialist boarding establishment.
In June 2022, the RSPCA was called back to the same property – now unoccupied – to check on five more iguanas who had been left alone to fend for themselves in the flat.
This time, two very young iguanas were found in a pet carrier, one adult was found in a fish tank with no access to drinking water, and two were found roaming loose in the hazardous flat.
Again, the animals had no access to UV or appropriate food or water.
These additional five iguanas were also taken away to be safely cared for in a specialist boarding establishment.
A specialist in exotic pets was provided with photographs from both incidents and stated that the property was full of potential dangers, and the tanks were not not the right size to provide an appropriate environment for these types of animals.
From the February incident, there were too many animals in one tank. In addition, the temperature and humidity required for the reptiles’ needs would not have been met.
RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer, Dan Tomlinson said: “Pet reptiles rely on their owners to provide an environment in which their welfare needs are met, which sadly didn’t happen in this case, even after detailed advice was offered to the defendant.
“The needs of exotics can be challenging to meet by members of the public because the pet animals’ needs are just the same as they would be if they lived in the wild and require conditions that can be difficult to replicate in a home.
“The RSPCA advises that prospective owners of exotic pets should thoroughly research the needs of the particular species and what is required in the care of the animal, using expert sources, and only consider keeping one if they can ensure they are fully able to provide for these needs.”
He added: “Every year, my colleagues and I are called out to rescue many hundreds of exotic pets which have been neglected or abandoned. These are wild animals and meeting their needs in captivity can be incredibly challenging. We believe that people may buy exotic pets with little idea of how difficult they can be to keep. They often end up in our care after people realise they’re not easy to care for, or once the novelty wears off and the commitment hits home.”
Exotic pet owners need to make sure they can give their animal the environment it needs and that they have the facilities, time, financial means and long-term commitment to maintain a good standard of care, as required under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Sentencing | nine-month community order with 15 days of rehabilitation activity; fine of £100 and a victim surcharge of £95. Banned from owning animals for five years (expires February 2029).
CONVICTED (2024) | Nina Jones, born c. 1988, of 11 Hazel Grove, Radcliffe, near Bury, Manchester M26 1DD – abandoned her poorly pet dog in a filthy house.
Mother-of-seven Jones was prosecuted by the RSPCA in relation to an elderly Staffy named Ronnie, who was found living in squalor at her abandoned home. The little dog was visibly shaking and desperately unwell with an untreated tumour. Sadly, nothing could be done to save him and he was put to sleep.
Ronnie was left to suffer alone in a scene of filth and squalor
RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Lee Farrons attended the scene in November 2023 after the charity received a report of concern from a neighbour.
He said: “The neighbour opened the back door because it was unlocked and I found a very skinny, abandoned dog in the house.
“The dog, called Ronnie, was very thin and not in a good condition. “He was a black male Staffy-type dog who was visibly shaking.
“He had a large growth on the bottom left of his mouth and some discharge around his eyes and I could see his ribs and spine without having to get close.
“The neighbour told me she went into the house as she was concerned that the animals had been abandoned.
“She showed me a video and some photos of the inside of the house when she entered and said the house looked very messy with lots of faeces and litter on the floor.
“I decided Ronnie needed to see a vet immediately. He couldn’t go to the toilet despite seemingly trying and he was unsteady on his feet with shaking legs. He appeared very weak so I transferred him to RSPCA Greater Manchester Animal Hospital.”
A tumour was then sadly detected.
The RSPCA said it made ‘numerous attempts to contact Jones’ about Ronnie’s condition together with the council and she was finally spoken to on November 23. A spokesman for the charity said she admitted she knew the dog needed to be put to sleep. Ronnie’s condition didn’t improve despite treatment.
Chief Inspector Nina Small said: “This was a very sad case which resulted in poor Ronnie suffering for around three weeks before being rescued. He was so poorly that a vet decided the kindest thing to do would be to put him to sleep, which was heartbreaking.”
Sentencing | 12 month community order with 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and 60 days of unpaid work; £400 costs and £114 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping any animal as a pet for just five years (expires December 2028).
CONVICTED (2023) | Jermaine Joshua Henderson, born 30 September 1994, of 1 Cherry Tree Way, Horwich, Bolton BL6 6JG – allowed his French bulldog to become emaciated and dragging her limbs.
The French bulldog, named Jada, was found underweight and dragging her hind limbs when an RSPCA officer visited Henderson’s home in Cherry Tree Way, Horwich, in August 2022. It was discovered the dog was suffering from several chronic and severe health conditions, which should have been treated by a vet.
Henderson had taken the dog to a vet appointment at the Animal Trust on March 4, 2022, after she suddenly lost the use of her back legs. Apart from oral pain relief, the dog was then left with no medical intervention for the next five months.
When RSPCA worker Jessica Pierce visited Henderson’s address on August 13, 2022, she was “extremely concerned” for the dog’s welfare.
Little Jada was put to sleep after Jermaine Henderson left her to suffer without treatment for several months
In a statement read out in court, she said: “The defendant opened a door of a room to the front of the flat and I immediately got a smell of faeces and urine.
“Jada appeared visibly underweight with her ribs, hips and spine bones showing.
“She could not walk very well at all and her back legs were crossing over and dragging behind her. I asked her owner if she had been to the vet and he stated she had been to the Animal Trust, but he couldn’t remember when this was, although he confirmed she wasn’t currently under a vet.”
A vet at the Greater Manchester Animal Hospital said in a statement presented to the court that a cervical intervertebral disc prolapse was considered as a diagnosis at the consultation in March. She said that though the vet at that appointment offered further investigations, the owner declined on the grounds of cost.
“While Mr Henderson did present Jada to a vet due to her serious neurological condition, he subsequently failed to present her again when she did not rapidly return to normal, along with the other clinical concerns identified, particularly the ear disease,” she stated.
Sadly, with her prognosis being so poor, vets decided to put her to sleep to end her suffering.
A post-mortem showed the dog was suffering with spinal cord compression with subsequent nerve loss contributing to muscle wastage in her back legs. She also had a severe infection and inflammation of her ear structures.
Henderson was prosecuted by the RSPCA and pleaded guilty to one charge under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. He appeared for sentencing at Wigan Magistrates’ Court on December 14, 2023.
Sentencing | four-month custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months; £400 court costs and victim surcharge of £154. Disqualified from keeping animals for five years (expires December 2028).
