CONVICTED (2024) | serial animal hoarder Diana Curtis, born c. 1958, of Peters Marland, Torrington EX38 8QD – neglected dozens of animals in her care.
Curtis, a notorious animal hoarder well-known to the RSPCA and courts, was given a suspended custodial sentence and laughable five-year ban after horses, dogs, chickens, ducks and a goat were found in squalor at her home.
RSPCA inspectors were joined by police, vets, staff from the Dog’s Trust and officers from Torridge District Council, at the address in July 2022. They found a number of animals, some left without food, water or the vet care they needed.
A stallion, named Mid Morning Monkey, was found with an eye ulcer; checks with vets showed he’d been left with no treatment. Two other horses, named Symphonies Secret and Summer’s Place Jessica, were both found to have untreated dental disease.
Summer’s Place Jessica also had deformed legs and swollen knees. She had an uneven gait and was regularly seen tripping – particularly on her right fore leg. A vet later diagnosed chronic arthritis which had been left untreated.
The stables, which also housed a female goat alongside horses, were dirty with faeces and soiled straw. There was no clean bedding and no hay, food or water available.
Poultry, which was found standing in pens thick with faeces and soiled bedding with dirty water and no food, were also found to have untreated scaly leg. Inside the address, rescuers found more unsuitable living conditions for animals.
RSPCA deputy chief inspector Suzy Hannaby said: “The property was filthy and appeared to have been used as a dog kennel rather than for human habitation, the floors were bare and the only furniture present was for storage.
“There were no chairs or human beds. There was a strong smell of ammonia in the downstairs of the property. There were dog faeces and soiled straw and shavings on the floor, pieces of wooden board, dirty dog beds and two empty crates. There was no food or water available.”
Following an RSPCA prosecution Curtis was convicted of eight offences, some after trial.
Sentencing | 16-week custodial, suspended for 12 months; £10,000 towards costs plus £154 victim surcharge. FIVE-year ban (expires December 2028).
In October 2010 Curtis was given an ASBO due to excessive noise from 100 dogs kept at her property. She pleaded guilty to a noise abatement offence. She was also fined £2,000.
Police officers and animal welfare officers were forced to remove all but six of the dogs from Curtis after she failed to adhere to a court order to do so.
Following Curtis’s conviction, Devon & Cornwall Police Inspector Andy Lilburn said there was “no suggestion of cruelty here whatsoever”, adding that the dogs were “healthy, well-cared for, fed and watered”.
Curtis said she intended appealing the decision but said that “most of the dogs will have been destroyed by the time I raise the money”.
Following the appeal hearing in November 2010, she was ultimately given permission to keep 14 animals.
In December 2011 a further 34 dogs as well as 14 horses were seized from Curtis. After pleading guilty to breaching her ASBO, she was told she could only have a maximum of six dogs.
The RSPCA said at the time they were considering if any animal welfare offences had been committed and whether to prosecute.
In June 2013 Curtis was given a community sentence of 240 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £27,000 in court costs after keeping 33 horses and 34 dogs in appalling conditions.
Officials from the RSPCA found the premises to be covered in faeces and littered with hazards.
The court heard there was no outside grazing available and virtually no food and animals had to eat part of a stinging nettle bush.
Prosecutor Iain O’Donnell said: ‘Thirty-four dogs were removed from the premises. Photographs show the disgusting conditions in which they were living.’
Curtis was only banned from keeping horses and for a mere 12 months.