WELWYN WOMAN AVOIDS ANIMAL BAN AFTER DOGS DIE IN CAR
A woman has avoided a ban from keeping animals despite three dogs dying after she left them inside a car on a hot day.Sarah Sharkey, 61, of Blakes Way, Welwyn, left four Irish Setters named Brodie, Sorcha, Seren and Barclay inside the vehicle for two hours in Colney Heath on July 4, 2025.
The high temperatures inside the car led to the death of three of the dogs, with only Seren surviving after requiring emergency medical care.
Sharkey appeared at St Albans Magistrates' Court last Friday (September 26) accused of four counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
She pleaded guilty to all charges and was hit with a community order requiring her to complete 100 hours of unpaid work during the next 12 months.
However, judges decided not to grant a ban from keeping animals, citing her being a 'responsible and competent dog owner for many years' and their confidence that 'an incident like this will not happen again'.
She was also ordered to pay court costs of £85.
