CONVICTED (2024) | Siem Tamrat, born 9 September 2000, of Mereton Mansions, Brookmill Road, Deptford, London SE8 4HS – neglected a puppy until she almost starved to death.
Tamrat denied the animal cruelty charges against him but was found guilty after failing to provide a three-month-old American bulldog puppy, Nala, with adequate food and water.
The pup was presented to PDSA vets in “a state of emaciation” on November 29, 2022.
Nala had been taken to the vets on November 15, with a history of being underweight. At that appointment she weighed 10.6kg.
Tamrat was advised to feed an appropriate diet of complete puppy food three times a day and return two weeks later.
When she was taken back to the vets, Nala weighed just 7.7kg and was subdued, barely able to stand, with muscles shaking, and standing with her head down.
The bones of her head, limbs, spine, ribs and pelvis were easily visible, the RSPCA said.
Tamrat was advised by the vets that Nala required intensive supportive treatment given her very poor condition.
He initially refused but then left the vet surgery to withdraw funds for treatment and failed to return.
As a result, the RSPCA were called to seize Nala along with police and investigate animal welfare offences.
In mitigation, Tamrat’s defence lawyer said his client’s autism and ADHD adversely affected his thinking and reasoning skills.
RSPCA Inspector Harriet Daliday attended the vet practice and described Nala as: “curled in a ball, on a drip, in her kennel and did not respond to noise or my voice.
“She did not respond when opening up her kennel and I had to gently lift her out and get support to hold her up in order to photograph her as she could not stand unaided.
“She was extremely underweight with all her ribs, her pelvis and spine easily visible.
“She was very roach backed and unsteady on her feet swaying back and forth and shaking.
“She was extremely lethargic and struggled to keep her eyes open.
“Her entire demeanour was the opposite of what you expect from a three-month-old puppy.”
Since her traumatic start to life, Nala has now made a full recovery and has been adopted by a new family.
Sentencing | 10-week custodial suspended for 12 months; 30 days of rehabilitation activity; £154 victim surcharge. A five-year ban (expires April 2029).
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) | 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) | Simon Moynes, born c. 1985, of 26 Pimpernel Way, Chatham ME5 0SF – left his elderly dog to suffer with an “oozing”, grapefruit-sized tumour and other ailments.
The RSPCA was called to Moynes’ address in January 2023 to investigate reports of concern about a dog with fleas and bad skin.
There they found Cassie in a subdued state, covered in urine stains, underweight and with a huge tumour.
An inspector said: “I immediately noted a strong smell of urine and infection coming from Cassie.”
“She appeared extremely lethargic and subdued.
“Moynes placed Cassie on the floor in front of me and I could see she was extremely underweight with her ribs clearly visible. She had fur loss across her mid to lower back and down her back legs and I could see urine staining on her back legs. She also appeared to be dripping urine involuntarily.
“She had evidence of flea dirt and fleas on her back. Cassie was able to stand for a few seconds before she laid down in front of me and appeared extremely weak on her legs.
“On her front left leg around her elbow she had a large mass that I noted was about the size of a grapefruit that was open, ulcerated, oozing pus and blood and smelt extremely strong of infection.
“I also noted a small mass on her abdomen that was also open, ulcerated and oozing pus and blood.”
Moynes then told the inspector that Cassie had not seen a vet since before 2020. He claimed he couldn’t get an appointment during the Covid lockdown, the RSPCA said.
The defendant agreed to let the inspector take Cassie to the vet for treatment – where it was decided that the most humane option would be to put her to sleep.
In a witness statement, the vet said: “The period of suffering is likely to have been 18 months and this could have been reduced if veterinary advice was sought sooner.
“Both masses would have caused severe pain and suffering for Cassie. There was rotting tissue in both masses which had caused severe infection.
“Due to her anaemia she was extremely lethargic and had shortness of breath upon presentation.
“Cassie would have been suffering with anaemia for up to six months as a result of her untreated condition. Due to her emaciation and muscle wastage, she could barely stand and couldn’t walk where she was so lethargic, weak and in a suffering state.
“Her tumours were so large that they were inoperable, and would have had to involve removal of the entire front leg to adequately remove the tumour. In a severely compromised, anaemic and hypotensive dog this would not have been possible as she would not have survived the anaesthetic.”
In mitigation, Moynes said he had “mental health issues”. He is said to have shown significant remorse and accepted that Cassie should have been taken to a vet.
Sentencing | 18-month community order with 180 hours of unpaid work and 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days. A 10-year ban applicable to all animals.
CONVICTED (2024) | pet hoarder Marissa Faultless, born c. 1957, of Tower Road, Sutton Coldfield B75 5EA – kept dozens of poorly cats in disgusting conditions.
The court heard that pet hoarder Marissa Faultless was not ‘deliberately cruel’ and her behaviour was due to a mental health disorder
Nearly 100 cats had to be removed from Marissa Faultless’s chaotic home, which was described in court as smelling like death. One kitten was found dead while others had to be euthanised. Some had to have eyes removed due to cat flu.
On three occasions RSPCA inspectors were forced to raid the property where every area of the garden contained piles of fence-high rubbish while inside reeked of urine and faces.
Faultless refused to accept anything was wrong with the cats and denied they needed veterinary treatment.
Ultimately she admitted six animal welfare offences, albeit she made a last-ditch, thankfully unsuccessful, bid to reverse the pleas in a ploy to keep her cats.
RSPCA prosecutor Sara Pratt told the court there had been a ‘long history’ to the case. She said that police and Birmingham City Council had tried to work with Faultless following initial complaints and in April 2021 she was provided with copies of the Animal Welfare Act as well as a code of practice for looking after cats.
But Ms Pratt added that ‘nothing changed’ and a warrant had to be executed on September 2, 2021, which resulted in the removal of 34 cats and kittens. A further 24 were spotted outside but officers could not catch them and did not have the legal power to seize them.
Ms Pratt said: “Outside of the house there was piled high rubbish in the garden as high as the fence. Inside the property there were a large number of cats and kittens. There was an overpowering smell of urine and a build-up of faeces in the living room. There were no suitable litter trays. The house was in a cluttered state.”
A lot of the cats were suffering from cat flu as well as fleas.
Faultless refused to formally sign any of them over to the RSPCA. She was interviewed and accepted ownership of them but denied there were signs of flu or ringworm.
She also blamed Covid for failing to seek flea treatment but insisted the cats did not need to see a vet. She claimed she had not noticed the smell but admitted she struggled with how many pets she had, said Ms Pratt.
There were further visits to her home in June and July 2022 following more complaints which culminated in a second warrant executed in August.
Ms Pratt said: “The conditions at the property had deteriorated. There was an overwhelming smell of urine, faeces and what was described by others as ‘death’.”
A dead kitten was found at the home while 26 cats had to be removed. One four-week-old kiten was particularly emaciated and had to be euthanised.
A third raid took place in April 2023 when another 34 cats had to be taken away.
The court was told a small number of cats had to have eyes removed due to severe flu. At that point Faultless cried ‘no, no, no that’s not true’ as she broke down in tears in the dock. One cat died after being operated on by the vet.
Ms Pratt said: “Clearly all of the cats had suffered pain and distress. A reasonably competent and humane person would have sought veterinary attention.”
She told the court a number of cats died but the vast majority had been rehomed while some remained in boarding establishments awaiting to be adopted.
Queenie Djan, defending, said: “This is Ms Faultless’s first time offending. It is not the case she was deliberately cruel. It is directly linked to a mental disorder she is suffering from. There is a history of her owning cats before her offending with no issues. She is receiving support from other organisations.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 15 days of rehabilitation activity and 12 sessions of psychological intervention. Banned from keeping cats for ten years.
CONVICTED (2024) | Daniel Glancey, born 10 July 1989, of Eighth Avenue, Blyth NE24 2QE – allowed his pet Rottweiler to become severely malnourished.
Glancey admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the eight-year-old dog, known as Xena.
His cruelty came to light after Xena was found straying and picked up by an animal welfare officer from Northumberland County Council.
Xena was picked up by the local authority animal welfare officer as a stray and taken to a vet for examination. Photo credit: Northumberland Dog Rescue
Concerned about the dog’s extremely poor condition the officer took her to a vet where she was was given a low body condition score of 2/9. She weighed just 19kg and her hip bones, ribs, spine and skull were protruding through her fur. She was weak with overgrown nails and infected eyes.
Weighing just 19kg, Xena’s hip bones, ribs, spine and skull were visibly on show. She was weak, had overgrown nails and discharge to her eyes. Photo credit: Northumberland Dog Rescue
Xena was traced to Dan Glancey after he and partner Katie White placed ‘missing dog’ posts on social media. In one post Glancey described Xena as being “a little underweight” due to illness.
The animal welfare officer called Glancey to discuss their concerns about Xena’s condition. He fed them a pack of lies about Xena being under the care of a local vet practice after being poisoned by fertiliser. He later admitted she hadn’t seen a vet blaming lack of money and vets said her appalling condition was simply due to a lack of proper nutrition and diet.
Glancey relinquished Xena to the animal welfare officer who placed her in the care of Northumberland Dog Rescue to be nursed back to health. Following her recovery, Zena was adopted and is loving life in her new home.
Sentencing | nine-week custodial sentence, reduced to six weeks for his early guilty plea, suspended for six months; ordered to pay a surcharge of £154 and costs of £300. Disqualified from keeping all animals for ten years.
CONVICTED (2024) | Bryan Owens and previous offender Katrina Bernadette Elstob of 48 Fox Avenue, South Shields NE34 9RN – failed to address their pets’ health conditions and weight loss.
Elstob, who was previously banned from owning animals, and partner Bryan Owens admitted cruelty to an elderly Jack Russell called Jack and a cat named Jess. Jack was in poor bodily condition, suffering skin inflammation and dental disease and was infested with fleas, while Jess had an untreated skin condition.
RSPCA Inspector Trevor Walker visited the couple in September 2023 and was immediately concerned about the poor condition of Jack and Jess.
Jack was dehydrated after being denied water and had a number of untreated health conditions
In his witness statement he said: “I observed an aged and very lean, Jack Russell Terrier type dog, that would have been described as tri-coloured at one stage, but now appeared more yellow possibly due to a heavy flea burden and his age.
“The cat, a medium long haired brown cat appeared in better condition, but once I had picked him up I could feel the very scabby skin under his medium long haired coat.”
RSPCA Inspector Walker transported Jack and Jess to a vet for further examination.
Jess had a severe skin condition, which had not been addressed by her cruel owners
Inspector Walker continued in his witness statement: “Arriving at the door to the vet’s surgery, I noticed [Jack] was lapping the rain water that had collected on the top of the drainage cover, indicating that he was dehydrated.
“This condition was confirmed inside the consultation room when he drank from a bowl of fresh water for an entire minute, before it was removed.”
The vet said in their witness statement about Jack the dog: “There were four main concerns which included a very poor body condition score, which would have likely been present for at least a few months, a heavy flea infestation, secondary skin inflammation and severe dental disease.
“Based on the examination and the further test results; Jack had experienced unnecessary and avoidable suffering.”
Following the case, Jack and Jess were officially signed over to the care of RSPCA, where staff will now look to find them both loving new homes.
Sentencing | Elstob – ordered to pay a fine of £164, a £66 victim surcharge and £250 in costs. Owens -ordered to pay a fine of £80, a £32 victim surcharge and £250 in costs. Both were given a seven year ban on owning all animals, with no appeal for five years (expires April 2031).
CONVICTED (2024) | Phillip Boyer, born 4 December 2004, of Waterdale Crescent, St Helens WA9 3PD – left an XL Bully to die in a rubbish and faeces-strewn flat.
A 2019 image of alcoholic junkie Phil Boyer, who turned a blind eye to his dog’s suffering and left her to die in pain
Police found the female tan and white XL bully, named Cali, lying dead in the filthy living room of Boyer’s flat in Waterdale Crescent, St Helens, on June 15, 2023. She was very thin and suffering from canine parvovirus which had not been treated.
An RSPCA inspector attending the scene described being met with a pungent overpowering smell of urine, faeces and decomposition, and saw no sign of food or water for the dog.
Boyer, who admitted being reliant on alcohol and drugs, pleaded guilty to three offences contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
He said in an interview that he hadn’t noticed Cali’s weight loss.
The court heard that RSPCA Inspector Leanne Cooper had gone to the property following the police’s request.
In written evidence she said: “Each room I looked in was filthy and littered with rubbish. In the lounge there was a really pungent overpowering smell of urine, faeces and decomposition. I could see what appeared to be smears of faeces all over the floor and up the walls.
“Over towards the television stand in the corner of the room I could see a dead white bull breed dog that looked to be in very thin bodily condition, with her ribs, hips and backbone prominent.
“Cali’s fur looked to be stained brown on her legs and back end. There was also what looked like a brown dried patch of diarrhoea on the floor underneath her rear end. There was a mop bucket nearby that looked thick, brown and dirty with faeces. The floor was littered with rubbish and hazards such as broken glass. I didn’t see any sign of food or water provided for Cali.”
The inspector also took photographs of a shed in the communal garden where Cali was said to have been kept, sometimes for hours at a time. The wooden door and frame appeared to have been chewed and there were splinters all over the floor.
A vet from the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital examined the dog later the same day. She gave Cali a body condition score of two out of nine and said her ribs, lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones were easily visible and she had no palpable fat.
The result of a faecal sample showed Cali had canine parvovirus, a highly contagious virus that can be fatal to dogs, with puppies and unvaccinated dogs most at risk.
In her evidence to the court, the vet said: “Parvovirus can cause rapid deterioration and suffering if no veterinary intervention is provided. The duration of these failings will be a minimum of several days, the duration of the environmental failings is likely to be for a period of weeks looking at the evidence presented. Regardless of the cause of poor body condition and diarrhoea, the owner should have sought veterinary advice to relieve her suffering.
“Cali will have undoubtedly felt weakness and debilitation having a severe lack of energy, worsened by the haemorrhagic diarrhoea. This will have been uncomfortable and severely impacted her everyday life, ability to move, to obtain food or water and even to play.
“I would expect a responsible owner to seek veterinary attention should their pet become underweight, to a point that they were below point 4 out of 9 on the body condition score, moreover, if their animal became weak or lethargic.”
The court was told that in the weeks that followed Inspector Cooper made repeated attempts to speak to Boyer about potential animal welfare offences, but most of the calls went straight to voicemail or the line would go dead when she said who she was.
With the assistance of police, he was located and finally interviewed in November about what had happened to Cali.
In interview, Boyer said he was reliant on alcohol and drugs and struggled to buy food for himself and Cali. He said he didn’t notice her weight loss, suggesting that she had always been a lean dog, and he hadn’t taken her to the vet as had no money to do so and didn’t have a phone to call the RSPCA for help.
Speaking after the case Inspector Cooper said: “Going into the property and finding Cali’s body, lying all alone surrounded by piles of rubbish, was an extremely sad and upsetting sight. She was badly let down by the person who should have been caring for her and suffered over a prolonged period because no veterinary assistance or any other sort of help had been sought.”
Sentencing | 17-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months; 20 days of rehabilitation; 160 hours of unpaid work; victim surcharge of £154. Five-year ban on keeping all animals (expires April 2029).
CONVICTED (2024) | Natalie Hewson, born c. 1988, of Phillip Lawson House, Norfolk Road, Newton, Chester CH2 2LD – left her severely ill elderly cat to die alone in her abandoned flat.
Hewson was prosecuted by the RSPCA after the 13-year-old pet, called Zippy, died alone in the empty flat in Norfolk Road, Chester.
During an appearance at Chester Magistrates Court she pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to Zippy and failing to meet her needs during August and September 2023.
The RSPCA investigated Hewson after receiving a report that a cat had died after being left unattended at Hewson’s home. Zippy’s body had been removed from the property a week earlier by someone who knew Hewson and buried at another address.
In written evidence to the court, RSPCA Inspector Anthony Joynes who collected Zippy’s remains, said: “I was directed to the rear of the garden and observed a tabby and white female deceased cat which had been removed from a shallow grave prior to my arrival.
“The carcass of the cat was in poor bodily condition with ribs, spine and pelvic bones palpable through the skin.”
Post-mortem examination report showed Zippy had chronic kidney disease that had progressed to renal failure and led to her death on or around September 4, 2023.
Hewson later told Inspector Joynes her cat appeared “fine” three to four days prior to this.
Zippy, who was abandoned by her cruel owner to die.
The vet who carried out the post mortem said adequate supervision of Zippy should have alerted her owner to observe excessive thirst and the need to seek prompt veterinary advice regarding cause and treatment.
“A cat affected by chronic renal disease will display outward signs of clinical abnormality including weight loss – not unusual for a senior cat – but also excessive thirst and urination,” said the vet.
“Each of these observations relies upon the regular (at least daily) and frequent supervision of the cat in order to be able to identify such abnormalities.
“The evidence indicates that Zippy had been left unsupervised for repeated periods of four days, and when she was supervised this was for very short periods of time, just enough for the responsible person to provide further food and water without a significant period of observation of the cat’s behaviour.
“In my opinion the needs of Zippy had not been met due to a lack of adequate supervision with a failure to adequately monitor her and ensure she was not showing signs of illness or disease. The failure to meet the needs her needs also led to her having unrecognised chronic renal disease which had progressed to renal failure.”
Inspector Joynes made repeated attempts during October and November 2023 to contact Hewson to interview her about Zippy but got no response.
On November 15 the inspector spoke to a man at a property at Llay in Wrexham where Hewson was said to be staying and left a message asking her to get in touch urgently.
Numerous further attempts to make contact were made until an interview was finally conducted on December 6.
In it, Hewson told the officer she had left the property in Chester because of asbestos and that the council had taken longer than anticipated to fix it. She accepted she had been to the flat about ten times in 30 days, staying for about ten minutes at a time, but admitted she should have done more.
She said she was “devastated” when Zippy died and didn’t know she was unwell.
Speaking after the case Inspector Joynes said: “Life often throws changes in circumstance at us but it’s important to ensure the needs of animals you are responsible for are always met. Zippy was let down by her owner at a time when she needed her most and with tragic consequences.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 140 hours of unpaid work; £240 costs and a victim surcharge of £114. Two-year disqualification order applicable to all animals.
CONVICTED (2024) | Paul Georgeson, born c. 1982, of Devonshire Street, South Shields NE33 5SU – for the neglect of an elderly dog found covered in fleas and scabs.
Georgeson failed to ensure veterinary treatment was provided for the 13-year-old Staffy known as Zeus, who was suffering from a skin condition and ear inflammation.
As well as neglecting to provide parasitic control, Georgeson had failed to look into Zeus’s weight loss.
The court heard that in August 2023, RSPCA Inspector Helen Nedley visited Georgeson’s property after animal welfare concerns were raised.
In a witness statement, she said: “Mr Georgeson opened the back door to the property and let the dog, Zeus, into the back yard. The dog was in poor body condition and was narrow behind the ribs.
“The dog was dirty and covered with live fleas and scabs … (he) had misshapen ears and one looked to be thickened. The dog had long claws, and was repeatedly scratching himself.”
In another witness statement, a vet who assessed Zeus – who was taken into RSPCA care – said he had a “severe flea infestation” and was “constantly shaking/scratching”. She said his skin was thickened and scabby and sore.
Zeus was treated for fleas and worms, and given anti-inflammatories to help with his itchy skin.
In mitigation, the court heard that Georgeson was overrun with animals and was struggling to cope and was no longer capable of looking after them.
Magistrates heard that he no longer had any animals and he was remorseful for Zeus’s body condition.
Sentencing | ordered to pay a total of £978 in fine and costs. Five-year disqualification order on keeping all animals (expires March 2029).
