CONVICTED (2024) | Kelly Marie Jones, born 4 May 1982, of Laburnum Road, Tipton DY4 9QS – kept her ‘gangster’ friend’s dogs in ‘appalling’ conditions until one died and her son called for help.

Jones told the authorities a man she called ‘Gangster’ had the dogs dropped off in cages at her Tipton home and ordered her to look after them.

The court heard that the man had instructed Jones’ teenage son not to call a vet even after the dogs became unwell.

But after one dog died, the youth phoned the RSPCA and asked for help with the surviving animals.

RSPCA prosecutor Janita Patel told the court that the dogs in Jones’ care had been suffering for weeks by the time they were rescued on December 6, 2023.

Jones was already known to the animal protection charity as they had visited her some months earlier and given her advice about how to provide a safe and healthy home for the dogs.

Despite this, the dogs’ conditions continued to deteriorate, until the final call for help on December 5.

“The RSPCA received a call from Miss Jones’ son,” said Miss Patel. “There were five dogs at the address.

“He had been told by the person who left the animals not to contact the vet. He couldn’t afford to feed the dogs so asked the RSPCA to retrieve the dogs.”

An inspector visited the house the following day where she found the dead body of a bull terrier crossbreed named Rocky on a bloodstained duvet, with vomit in and around his mouth.

The inspector requested backup from colleagues and police attendance.

During a search of the property, inspectors found a severely underweight bull terrier crossbreed called Roxy. She was 7kg below an ideal weight for her size and breed.

Miss Patel described how three of Roxy’s puppies were found in a crate, “covered in their own faeces and with no access to water”.

Jones’ own dog, a husky named Whisky, was found in an upstairs bedroom. She was suffering from ear inflammation and had no acess to food or water; otherwise she was in reasonable health.

The surviving dogs were taken into RSPCA care under emergency powers and the body of Rocky was retrieved.

A vet assessment of the dogs concluded that none of the animals, apart from Whisky, had been provided with an appropriate living environment, an adequate diet or sufficient clean water to drink.

The puppies had not even been given space to defecate, and the blanket inside their cage was covered in faeces.

The vet estimated that the dogs had left to suffer for at least four to six weeks, but more likely much longer.

During police interview, Jones claimed that a man named ‘Gangster’ had dropped off Rocky and Roxy at her home on a number of occasions in the months before the RSPCA visit and told her to look after them. She refused to identify him further, claiming that this would endanger her or her son’s safety.

Miss Patel told the court: “She said she was feeding the dogs out of her own finances. She accepts the conditions… were bad. She couldn’t afford to feed herself and the dogs but wasn’t going to let the dogs starve.

Regarding the deceased dog Rocky, the court heard that “he was alive on December 4”. Jones stayed away overnight, returning on December 5 to find that he had died.

The prosecutor asked the judge to impose a lengthy ban on owning animals, and said the RSPCA had spent more than £4,000 bringing the case to court.

Jones pleaded guilty to three counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and one count of failing to provide a safe environment.

In mitigation, Nicola Steers told the court that her client’s own dog was in good health.

Recorder Barker interjected: “Does it make it any better that the dog that this defendant owned was in better condition than the dogs she was responsible for but weren’t hers?”

Miss Steers acknowledged her argument was “a double-edged sword” but said Jones had no intention of being cruel or abusive to animals.

“She is struggling financially. She receives Universal Credit.

“She didn’t want the dogs, they weren’t hers but they were forced upon her.”

Miss Steers compared the situation Jones was in with ‘Gangster’ and his dogs to one of an addict whose house is “taken over” or ‘cuckooed’ by drug dealers and used as a base for criminal activity.

“She found herself in a very sad and scary situation. She had buried her head when things were going bad.

“She was trapped dealing with this person who was exploiting her. First she was asked to look after the dog for a moment. It went on and on, and before long they were moving dogs in cages onto her property.”

Asked by the judge about why Jones didn’t identify the man exploiting her to police, Miss Steers said: “She was scared to say the name, she was terrified, because of the threats made to her and to her son in particular of violence.

“She loves her dog and she loves the dogs she was forced to care for, but unfortunately due to her financial difficulties she didn’t do a good – she didn’t do a job at all.”

Recorder Barker told Jones: “These charges relate to the care that you provided or, more appropriately, failed to provide, to a number of dogs under your control: three adult dogs and three puppies of one of those adult dogs.

“The condition of those living dogs is described as very poor; they were underweight and malnourished.

“The deceased dog, Rocky… suffered before his death and likely in his death.

“One can’t help but be shocked and absolutely appalled at the photographs of the conditions that these innocent, helpless animals were being kept in.

“You struggled to care for them properly because of your limited finances. You could have asked for help from the RSPCA, or taken the advice and help that was offered to you.

“You can’t have failed to notice that the dogs needed professional treatment and proper care.”

Sentencing | 12-month custodial, suspended for 18 months; 30 rehabilitation activity days; alcohol treatment programme. Jones was also ordered to pay a £300 contribution to the RSPCA’s costs of bringing the case, totalling £4,389.74. Banned from keeping any animals for a period of 10 years but can appeal after five years (expires October 2034).

Express & Star