COUPLE BANNED FROM OWNING DOGS AFTER HORRIFIC MALAMUTE ABUSE IN NEWSOME
A man named Thomas Robinson and his partner Stacey Kenny have been penalized after keeping five Malamutes in deplorable living conditions filled with faeces and dangerous debris.The couple, both aged 34, were found guilty of neglect under the Animal Welfare Act for failing to provide a suitable environment for their dogs.
Police found the animals at their home in Ashenhurst Avenue in Newsome, where they were roaming free in a garden littered with metal and debris, and surrounded by their own filth.
One of the dogs was emaciated and lethargic and had to be put to sleep; another had to be euthanized for health reasons.
The couple claimed that the dogs suffered health issues after police damaged their freezers in a previous raid, which caused their raw chicken diet to perish, and they could not afford to replace the food.
They also argued that the dogs' weight loss was due to an alternate diet they thought was appropriate.
During court proceedings at Kirklees Magistrates' Court, the prosecution described that the five dogs—Nova, Atka, Rico, Luna, and Innuk—were in a poor state, kept in damp outbuildings with rubbish, sharp metal, and frayed mattresses.
The court heard that the dogs' needs were not being met, and they required a safe, dry, and hazard-free environment.
All the dogs were removed from their care, but later returned.
However, the conditions were still far from acceptable.
The court sentenced Thomas Robinson and Stacey Kenny to a ban on owning dogs for three years, imposed fines of £100 each, with additional costs and surcharges.
The Deputy District Judge also issued a deprivation order removing the remaining dogs from their care, citing ongoing concerns over their environment and wellbeing.
The couple now live separately, with Robinson in Manchester and Kenny in Liversedge, living in financial hardship and dealing with the upheaval of losing their pets.
