DOG OWNERS BANNED FOR 3 YEARS AFTER LIVING CONDITIONS SHOCK
A couple have been banned from owning dogs for three years after keeping their five Malamutes in disgusting living conditions filled with faeces and dangerous litter.One of the pets discovered by police at Stacey Kenny and Thomas Robinson's Newsome home had to be put to sleep.
The couple claimed that the animals suffered poor health after the officers damaged their freezers during a previous raid and the chicken carcasses they fed them perished.
However, they pleaded guilty to a charge under the Animal Welfare Act of failing to ensure that the needs of the pets were met by not providing them with a suitable environment.
Andrew Davidson, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, told Kirklees Magistrates' Court that on April 6 last year police attended their house in Ashenhurst Avenue for an unrelated matter.
Officers found the five dogs named Nova, Atka, Rico, Luna, and Innuk, roaming freely in the garden amid dangerous metal and other debris, with large quantities of dog faeces.
One of the dogs was emaciated and lethargic, and the RSPCA was called, with arrangements made for a local vet to examine the animals.
Mr Davidson explained that they were kept in dirty and damp outbuildings with fraying mattresses, surrounded by rubbish that could cause serious injuries or blockages if ingested.
The faecal matter increased the risk of infection and worm exposure, and the environment was unsafe for the dogs.
All five dogs were removed but later returned to the couple, who are both 34 years old.
During a subsequent police visit, conditions had slightly improved but remained far from acceptable.
Rico had to be euthanized for health reasons.
Mrs.
O'Brien, mitigating, stated the couple rely on benefits and had their young son with them.
She mentioned that police damage during their raids led to their fridge freezers being in poor shape, affecting their ability to store food, and that the raw diet perished, leading to weight loss.
Due to these raids, they're now living separately—Kenny in Liversedge and Robinson in Manchester—and have a new baby but remain financially strained.
The loss of the dogs was devastating, and they acknowledged they cannot currently provide a suitable environment for another pet.
Deputy District Judge Edward Barr ordered a deprivation of the remaining dogs and disqualified both from keeping dogs for three years.
They were fined £100 each, with £100 toward prosecution costs and a £30 victim surcharge, deducted from their Universal Credit benefits.
