CONVICTED (2023) | Ross Clifford, born February 1979, of Quicksilver Way, Andover SP11 6TT – kept injured birds and hedgehogs in unsuitable conditions.
Convicted serial paedophile Ross Clifford operated a makeshift wildlife rescue centre from his home but was investigated by the RSPCA after they were alerted to dead and dying animals on the premises.
A vet examined the animals in Clifford’s care and found pigeons without their needs being met, including one severely injured pigeon that had been kept in a wicker basket with heavily solid newspaper on the base. There was no food or water or anywhere to perch.
Another pigeon was housed in a wardrobe in the bedroom, also without food or water.
A juvenile wood pigeon was found in a collapsible crate, with another collapsible crate used as a lid. A towel lined the base of the crate, and this was very heavily soiled with multiple faecal deposits, some fresh and others older and drying. No food or water was found in the crate.
Hedgehogs were also found in unsuitable conditions, including one found in a plastic cat carrier alongside a small quantity of dried food but no water.
The hedgehog was very lethargic and dehydrated with sunken eyes and pale mucous membranes as a result.
Two juvenile hedgehogs were found together in a collapsible crate which had wet shredded newspaper and tissue alongside food which appeared to be mouldy. They were both very lethargic and were lying motionless.
Another hedgehog, who had to be put to sleep because of the severity of his condition, was found in a plastic hamster cage without food and water with wet bedding which smelled of stale urine with an unsurvivable injury and dehydration.
In mitigation, the court heard that Clifford’s intentions in setting up a wildlife rescue at his home were good. He acknowledged that his premises were not set up to deal with wildlife rescue and that he fell short of the standards required by good practice.
Speaking about the case RSPCA Inspector Miranda Albinson said: “Injured captive wildlife is completely reliant on those providing care to ensure their needs are met. Sadly, in this instance, that responsibility was not fulfilled.”
Sentencing | 12-week custodial sentence to run concurrently to an existing sentence for unrelated offences.
