ANDREA DARNELL'S CRUELTY IN KINGSTON UPON HULL: EXOTIC PET SHOP OWNER PLEADS GUILTY TO ANIMAL ABUSE
In a case that has shocked the community of Kingston upon Hull, Andrea Darnell, formerly known as Andrea Cooper, has been found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to multiple snakes kept at her former pet shop.Born on December 17, 1964, Darnell resided at 81 Wivern Road, Hull HU9 4HR, and owned the Diamond Exotic pet shop located on Saville Street in Hull.
Her actions, which led to the tragic deaths of several snakes, have drawn significant attention from animal welfare authorities and the local public alike.
In an investigation initiated by the RSPCA, inspectors visited Darnell’s shop in May 2023 after receiving numerous concerns regarding the welfare of the animals housed there.
Inspector Laura Barber, who was part of the inspection team, described the scene as deeply troubling.
She explained, “On our initial visit, a range of worrying issues were immediately apparent.
To me and my colleague, exotics expert Inspector Kim Greaves, the shop appeared very overcrowded, with various vivariums stacked on top of each other and inappropriate numbers of animals in the same, small vivariums.” She further detailed the conditions, stating, “Many of them — including iguanas, snakes, bearded dragons, and a Chinese water dragon — were being kept in dirty, inappropriate conditions or showed historic injuries.
A rhinoceros iguana was running free, some vivariums had no substrate, and a large reticulated python was found in a too-small vivarium.
A Chinese water dragon appeared to have a historical mouth injury, and many vivariums were overheated.
We were very concerned for these animals.” Following this initial inspection, the RSPCA issued Animal Welfare Notices to Darnell, outlining the necessary improvements to her shop’s conditions.
The authorities planned a follow-up visit after one month to assess her compliance.
However, when inspectors returned in late June 2023, accompanied by a Hull City Council pet shop inspector, they found no evidence of progress.
Darnell had failed to keep proper feeding and care records, which was a breach of her licensing conditions.
During the second visit, inspectors also examined two rooms on the second floor of the premises.
These rooms were found to be cluttered, messy, and littered with rubbish.
In one of these rooms, they discovered 18 young snakes stored on a racking system without thermostats, many of which lacked access to water.
Six of these snakes were in particularly poor health; five corn snakes and one royal python were cold to the touch, underweight, and near death.
The vivarium housing the corn snakes was dirty, emitting a strong odour, and lacked proper lighting.
The water bowls available were small and contained very little water, insufficient for bathing or hydration.
When questioned, Darnell admitted that the python had not eaten since she acquired it but conceded she had never taken it to a veterinarian.
She also confirmed ownership of all six snakes in poor condition.
The local authorities responded by revoking her pet shop license, and the dying snakes were handed over to the RSPCA for veterinary examination.
They were subsequently placed in a specialized boarding facility while awaiting further tests.
Tragically, the royal python and one of the corn snakes died shortly after their arrival at the veterinary clinic.
The remaining four snakes also succumbed over the following days.
A veterinary report confirmed that all the snakes had been severely dehydrated and emaciated, with signs of mites and possible metabolic bone disease.
The veterinarian concluded that starvation and dehydration were the primary causes of death, and that these animals had suffered unnecessarily due to neglect.
Inspector Barber expressed her dismay at the case, stating, “There was no excuse for not providing those poor snakes with their basic needs and failing to seek veterinary care for them when it was abundantly clear that they so desperately needed it.
These were awful cases and simply shouldn’t have happened.
The RSPCA urges anyone struggling to take care of their animals to ask for help, rather than neglecting them and leaving them to suffer.” As part of the legal proceedings, the court handed down a 12-month community order requiring Darnell to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.
She was also ordered to pay £400 in costs and a £154 victim surcharge.
Additionally, a confiscation order was issued for four tarantula spiders.
Darnell is now subject to a ten-year ban on keeping any exotic pets.
The Diamond Exotic shop has since changed ownership, with Luke Franklin, believed to be Darnell’s son-in-law, taking over the business.
This case highlights the importance of animal welfare and the consequences of neglecting the needs of vulnerable creatures.
The community and authorities hope that such incidents serve as a reminder of the responsibilities that come with pet ownership and the need for strict enforcement of animal protection laws.
