U.K. Animal Cruelty Files U.K. – UKACF
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CONVICTED
CONVICTED | James Hamill, 37, from Caerleon, Newport, South Wales – left his ailing Westie to suffer with multiple painful health conditions for nearly two years until she was too poorly to be saved.
Hamill, who works as a bus driver, was convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to the Westie, Bella, following a successful prosecution by Animal Welfare Investigations Project (AWIP).
The little dog, who was just six years old, had endured severe neglect over a period of around two years, resulting in extensive fur loss, dry eye, and ultimately, blindness. Tragically her condition had been allowed to deteriorate to the point where euthanasia was the kindest option.
The case came to light when Bella, whom Hamill had owned since she was a puppy, was surrendered to pet sanctuary The Original Westies Rescued UK (WRUK).
In a statement to the court, one vet involved in Bella’s care said: “When I first saw Bella I was horrified at the state she was in. I rarely see a dog that is in such poor condition. My first observations were drawn to how little fur Bella had and her poor skin condition.”
AWIP Investigator Serena James, who led the investigation, expressed her feelings on the case’s conclusion: “I am pleased with the outcome. This has been a lengthy investigation that has now resulted in a conviction.”
Jacob Lloyd, Head of Investigations at AWIP, remarked on the collaboration that brought this case to light: “We are pleased to have supported our animal rescue colleagues at WRUK. We will always work with animal rescuers to bring those who harm animals to justice.”
Sentencing | 180 hours of community service; £800 in costs and £95 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping animals for a woeful two years.
https://awip.org.uk/awip-secures-conviction-in-heart-wrenching-animal-neglect-case/
CONVICTED
CONVICTED | Jade Jarvis, 26, most recently of Walton, Liverpool L4 – smacked her terrified pet dog in the head during a deranged outburst at a homeless shelter.
Jarvis’s American bulldog cross Hugo (pictured) was reported to have “looked terrified” as his owner “shouted and swore” at employees of the shelter before delivering a “really heavy” slap to the top of the dog’s head.
CCTV footage of the incident, which took place on the morning of April 14, 2023, was played to the court, and showed Jarvis dropping her trousers before throwing a bottle of water down a corridor. She then sits down on a chair and hits out at her pet twice – making contact once – then following this up with a “forceful push” to the ground.
Hugo was left “subdued and visibly shaking” as a result of the attack.
Appearing from HMP Styal, Jarvis left the video link booth while the clip was being played.
Once she had returned, the defendant said: “I just want to know my sentence. I don’t want to sit here and listen to lies.”
In a separate incident in July 2022 she smashed up a lamppost with a hammer before being hauled into a police van half-naked. She continued “kicking out, shouting and spitting” as she was transported into custody.
Jarvis’s lawyer told the court her client, who has a lengthy criminal record, was “a lady full of frustration and anger”.
Jarvis admitted causing unnecessary suffering to an animal alongside charges of using threatening behaviour, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, assaulting an emergency services worker and criminal damage.
Sentencing her to 13 months in jail, Judge Garrett Byrne said: “You seem incapable or unwilling to contain your rage and frustration with the world. You only have yourself to blame for the position you find yourself in.
“You took out your frustration on your own dog. That dog was terrified and curled up in a ball.”
Sentencing | 13-month custodial. No mention of a ban on keeping animals.
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/woman-exposed-herself-before-smacking-27702136
CONVICTED
Today BirminghamLive published full details of Chelsea Martin’s recent conviction for dog cruelty. It was incorrectly reported on Facebook that Martin, aged 27 and from West Bromwich, had been prosecuted in relation to a dog named Skye, who was reportedly found starved almost to death in Martin’s squalid home in January 2022.
Her April 2023 court hearing actually related to a separate case involving two different dogs entirely: a young bull-breed named Thor and a 14-year-old husky called Nakai. Both dogs, who were flea-infested and underweight, were seized by police officers in August 2021.
We understand now that Martin, who also uses the surname Griffin, has not yet been charged in relation to Skye, another bull-breed dog named Caesar or the dead rats, rabbits and reptiles reportedly discovered at her home in January 2022.
Evidence presented in court showed that Thor and Nakai had endured a life of starvation and neglect at the hands of a woman who now looks very likely to be a serial and committed animal abuser – in other words, a callous inhumane monster.
Elderly Nakai scored 2/9 on a body condition score. His coat was matted in flea dirt.
Thor was also underweight and was given a body condition score of just 1/9. The court heard he had fleas, overgrown claws and leg sores.
While in the animal hospital, Thor was sick and a sock was found in the material – the vet said hunger may be a reason for a dog eating foreign material.
The vet concluded both dogs had suffered as a result of malnutrition.
Mitigation on Griffin’s behalf was that she was a single mum-of-two who could not cope with the dogs.
Sentencing | 200 hours of community service; costs of £500 plus £114 victim surcharge. A 10-year ban on owning animals.
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/single-mum-chelsea-griffin-given-26790392
CHESHIRE POLICE APPEAL
Crewe, Cheshire: help trace the ‘hit and run’ van driver who mowed down a much-loved pet dog and fled the scene without stopping.
Michael Hamill was walking eight-year-old French bulldog Millie to the shops when she was run over in front of him at around 3pm on Friday (April 15). He and his partner were crossing Nantwich Road, Crewe, to reach the McColl’s store when a white Mercedes Sprinter van allegedly failed to stop at the junction of Walthall Street.
According to eye-witnesses, the van then sped through the red lights – narrowly missing Michael who had stepped into the road to cross – but sadly hitting Millie who was just one pace ahead. The family said she died instantly.
Michael’s devastated daughter Toni Hamill said: “We are absolutely heartbroken. We’d had Millie for eight years, since she was a tiny puppy. She was a massive part of our family.
“My dad and his partner had got to Aldi on the corner. They went to cross over as the lights were red and beeping noise was sounding. He just took one step forward and a car came flying round the corner. Millie was just ahead of him and there was a huge bang.
“Apparently he sped up after the incident so he must have known he’d hit something. My dad’s partner rang the police straight away but we were only able to get a partial registration because it happened so fast.”
Toni added: “There was blood everywhere, she was killed instantly. A woman came rushing out of the nail salon after hearing the commotion. There were bystanders crying. Shoppers were coming out of Aldi with bin bags to cover Millie up. It’s was completely traumatic.”
It is believed the driver had come from Stalbridge Road before turning left on to Walthall Street and right on to Nantwich Road.
‼️ Cheshire Police / Family Appeal ‼️ | Crewe, Cheshire: help trace the ‘hit and run’ van driver who mowed down a much-loved pet dog and fled the scene without stopping.
Michael Hamill was walking eight-year-old French bulldog Millie to the shops when she was run over in front of him at around 3pm on Friday (April 15). He and his partner were crossing Nantwich Road, Crewe, to reach the McColl’s store when a white Mercedes Sprinter van allegedly failed to stop at the junction of Walthall Street.
According to eye-witnesses, the van then sped through the red lights – narrowly missing Michael who had stepped into the road to cross – but sadly hitting Millie who was just one pace ahead. The family said she died instantly.
Michael’s devastated daughter Toni Hamill said: “We are absolutely heartbroken. We’d had Millie for eight years, since she was a tiny puppy. She was a massive part of our family.
“My dad and his partner had got to Aldi on the corner. They went to cross over as the lights were red and beeping noise was sounding. He just took one step forward and a car came flying round the corner. Millie was just ahead of him and there was a huge bang.
“Apparently he sped up after the incident so he must have known he’d hit something. My dad’s partner rang the police straight away but we were only able to get a partial registration because it happened so fast.”
Toni added: “There was blood everywhere, she was killed instantly. A woman came rushing out of the nail salon after hearing the commotion. There were bystanders crying. Shoppers were coming out of Aldi with bin bags to cover Millie up. It’s was completely traumatic.”
It is believed the driver had come from Stalbridge Road before turning left on to Walthall Street and right on to Nantwich Road.
Toni added: “We’re appealing for dashcam and CCTV footage. We’ve managed to get some already but it’s not clear enough to see the number plate. The van had a dent on the driver’s side so it’s quite easy to distinguish. We believe he may have been a delivery driver.
“We want the driver to acknowledge what he’s done. I want the driver to understand, it wasn’t just an animal, she was a much-loved family pet. It could have been a child. He shouldn’t be able to get away with it. We want justice for Millie.”
Paying tribute to Millie, Toni added: “She was a wonderful pet. She was so well-trained and would fetch the post for my dad. My little boy is only one but they were best friends. He’s too young to understand but it’s heart-breaking when he looks for her. We’re absolutely devastated.”
Anyone with information can contact Cheshire Police quoting IML-1524589.
🔗 https://bit.ly/3MU9cFo
Post to follow for news and updates: https://www.facebook.com/toni.hamill.7/posts/pfbid02sXgNdTwhdSw4TJQ5HQYYwMRG2eJiQqsr6TJyHtBYr24AJoPChKnJ6wVEf6kYNGBYl
CONVICTED
CONVICTED | prolific backyard pet breeder Navdeep Singh aka Rozer Sandhu or Navdeep Singh Sandhu, from Davenport, Stockport, Greater Manchester – kept malnourished dogs and cats in appalling conditions.
Singh, a self-proclaimed TikTok star with a large following in his native country of India, pleaded guilty to seven animal cruelty offences in relation to several French bulldogs and Bengal cats found starved and neglected at his home.
The RSPCA had previously issued Singh with warning to clear up the yard and cattery and take one of the puppies to the vet, but he failed to take action.
RSPCA inspector Beth Fazakerley subsequently attended Singh’s home with two police officers and found adult bulldogs Luna, Rocky, Daisy and Blue in the filthy yard. Four puppies, described as underweight and with bones prominent through their skin, were found hunched up among ripped up cardboard and faeces in the garage of the property.
Inspector Fazakerley also witnessed five cats housed in four separate rooms in a back garden aviary during a searing heatwave. Singh had also failed to provide the animals with clean water.
Inspector Fazakerley : “The first thing I noticed as I walked through the main door of the aviary was the extreme heat – within seconds I was sweating profusely and just walking around was uncomfortable.
“I took the temperature on my temperature gun and in the cleanest area for the cats it reached 36C. It was cooler in the rear, but there was virtually nowhere for the cats to lie down that was comfortable and clean from faeces and urine. Throughout the enclosure there was straw, piles of rubbish, empty bin bags, old food wrappers and a heat lamp switched on in a crate.”
Another RSPCA inspector Heather Morris told the court that Singh had said he was “making large amounts of money” from his TikTok videos.
She added: “He said he was quite busy and was planning on selling the house as his relationship had broken down with his girlfriend. He admitted that he wasn’t doing enough for the animals.”
All of the animals were seized and taken to Greater Manchester Animal Hospital. Singh later signed over the puppies and and two litters of two kittens who were born after the cats were removed from the property.
A vet’s expert report stated that all four of the puppies were very thin, scoring one out of nine on a body condition score when an ideal weight would be four or five.
The vet added: “It is clear the cats’ accommodation was excessively hot and would have had a negative impact on these animals, particularly as they had no access to water.
“While the temperatures measured in the puppies’ accommodation were within the acceptable range, French bulldogs are extremely susceptible to heat stroke due to their brachycephalic conformation and this can have a significant, negative welfare impact and even be fatal if left untreated.
“A number of the adults were seen panting and the original call to the police related to the dogs being distressed due to the heat. Brachycephalic dogs must be kept at cooler temperatures than other dog breeds. They should actively be kept out of the sun, have access to fresh clean water and ventilation, such as a fan.”
Sentencing | fined £8,199.98 and ordered to pay the RSPCA’s prosecution costs of £1,086.98. Banned from owning animals for six years
CONVICTED
CONVICTED (2023) | Keir Carr, 28, from Denny, Falkirk, Scotland – failed to seek veterinary treatment for his emaciated dog until the animal was too poorly to be saved.
Another sick joke of a sentence by the Scottish courts as dog killer Keir Carr, who owns a carpet firm based in Stenhousemuir, receives a tiny fine and five-year ban after allowing the springer spaniel pictured to starve to death.
In court Carr, who also indulges in bloodsports, pleaded guilty to causing the four-year-old dog, named Trigger, unnecessary suffering.
Amy Sneddon, procurator fiscal depute, said: “The Scottish SPCA received a phone call from a vet who worked at Champion Vets in Grangemouth about concern for a dog [who was] in an extremely emaciated condition which resulted in it having to be destroyed.”
The Scottish SPCA attended at the vets to examine Trigger’s body and found he only weighed 12.9kg when he should have been around 20kg.
The dog was rated one out of nine – with one being the worst figure on the body condition scale.
“Further investigations were carried out,” said the procurator fiscal depute. “And the accused was found to be the owner of the dog. Police then became involved.”
The court heard Carr claimed Trigger had “difficulty with keeping food down” but accepted he should have sought assistance much earlier than he did for the dog.
Sentencing | fined £340. Banned from owning any animals for five years.
CONVICTED
CONVICTED (2023) | Keir Carr, 28, from Denny, Falkirk, Scotland – failed to seek veterinary treatment for his emaciated dog until the animal was too poorly to be saved.
Another sick joke of a sentence by the Scottish courts as dog killer Keir Carr, who owns a carpet firm based in Stenhousemuir, receives a tiny fine and five-year ban after allowing the springer spaniel pictured to starve to death.
In court Carr, who also indulges in bloodsports, pleaded guilty to causing the four-year-old dog, named Trigger, unnecessary suffering.
Amy Sneddon, procurator fiscal depute, said: “The Scottish SPCA received a phone call from a vet who worked at Champion Vets in Grangemouth about concern for a dog [who was] in an extremely emaciated condition which resulted in it having to be destroyed.”
The Scottish SPCA attended at the vets to examine Trigger’s body and found he only weighed 12.9kg when he should have been around 20kg.
The dog was rated one out of nine – with one being the worst figure on the body condition scale.
“Further investigations were carried out,” said the procurator fiscal depute. “And the accused was found to be the owner of the dog. Police then became involved.”
The court heard Carr claimed Trigger had “difficulty with keeping food down” but accepted he should have sought assistance much earlier than he did for the dog.
Sentencing | fined £340. Banned from owning any animals for five years.
CONVICTED
CONVICTED | Craig Lee, aged 40, from Haydock, St Helens, Merseyside – fatally injured his elderly dog after kicking and punching her before attacking her with a metal pole
Lee, who calls himself “Crazy Craig”, kicked 12-year-old springer spaniel Carly (pictured) so hard his shoe came off. He then beat the petrified dog repeatedly around the head and body with the pole, causing catastrophic injuries. The stricken pet was taken to a vet and put to sleep.
Lee’s attack on Carly was witnessed by his carer Ceri Pickering.
The court heard that Ms Pickering would regularly see Lee become violent towards Carly, shouting at the dog and raising his fists.
On one visit she watched him punch Carly in the face. She said the dog would urinate in terror any time Lee came towards her.
On July 10, 2022, police contacted Ms Pickering with welfare concerns for Lee. She arrived at the address to find him in bed. No food or water had been provided for Carly so Ms Pickering tended to her.
Carly urinated as Lee approached her and he reacted by kicking her in the head, losing a shoe in the process.
The dog yelped in pain and urinated again.
Lee went to the kitchen and returned with a metal pole, saying “watch this now” and thrashed the dog over and over again.
Ms Pickering tried to get between Lee and Carly and was also hit with the pole although she said this had not been deliberate.
She managed to get the pole off Lee and called the police after Lee told her he would “stab” the dog if she left.
Ms Pickering agreed to look after Carly who was described as having “glazed eyes” and being “unable to walk”.
Veterinary examination showed that Carly had suffered internal injuries and brain damage from which she could not recover. There was no other option but to put her to sleep.
On August 1, 2022, Lee visited Ms Pickering’s address after sending her a series of menacing text messages, one of which said it was “payback time”.
Lee began “violently kicking the door” saying he would “smash up the house” and calling Ms Pickering a “grass”.
She described being so scared that she locked her 11-year-old daughter in the bathroom before contacting the police.
On arrest, Lee was heard to tell officers that he “didn’t care” about going to prison because “Altcourse is like a holiday”.
The court heard that Lee had 13 previous convictions for 16 offences.
Lee pleaded guilty to three counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and one of intimidating a witness,
In mitigation, Lee’s solicitor told the court that Carly was already poorly with cancer and end-stage kidney disease. He said it had been agreed that her death had not been solely caused by Lee’s vicious assault.
He described Lee as suffering from a “psychotic episode” brought on by “drinking to excess” and added that the defendant had a long history of mental health difficulties.
Sentencing | one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years. Five year restraining order; six months of alcohol treatment; 25 days of rehabilitation activity. No mention of a ban.
https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/23440797.st-helens-kicked-punched-dog-striking-metal-pole/
UK Animal Cruelty Files (UKACF) started this petition
The Sentencing Council is currently looking to introduce new guidance for the courts on how to sentence the most serious animal welfare offences, such as causing unnecessary suffering, tail docking and animal fighting.
The Council has invited the public to have their say as part of a consultation exercise.
We, the undersigned, would now urge the Council to take this opportunity to review a crucial area when it comes to the protection of animals from cruelty – the disqualification of ownership of animals.
Animals have a right to be properly protected from cruelty and the only way to ensure this is to impose an automatic lifetime ban, without the possibility of appeal, on those who abuse them.
Where someone has failed to meet the basic dietary, exercise and veterinary needs of their pets, they have demonstrated that they are incapable of taking care of animal.
There are others who take pleasure from deliberately inflicting pain and suffering on living creatures as the cases in our photo montage show.
Many people still indulge in sadistic blood sports like fox and badger digging and baiting and dog fighting.
In all cases, there is little prospect that the abuser will change their behaviour, putting at risk the lives of other creatures, who deserve better than this.
The authorities must take animal cruelty seriously. People who cause animal suffering through neglect should be banned for life from keeping animals. Those convicted of deliberately inflicting pain on animals for pleasure or profit should also be banned for life.
The introduction of a mandatory lifetime ban will help prevent animal suffering and end inconsistencies in this area of sentencing.
They also send an important message to the British public that owning an animal is a privilege rather than a right — and that the courts will take action against those who harm or exploit them.
Link to Petition:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2008787146007245/permalink/3568497546702856/
Dead horse dumped “like rubbish” on a bridleway.
RSPCA APPEAL | Ongar, Epping Forest, Essex: non-microchipped dead horse dumped “like rubbish” on a bridleway.
The “grisly” discovery was made on 18 March at around 6am in Bassett’s Lane, Ongar, in Essex.
“Sadly situations such as this one are not uncommon and we see far too many incidents involving dead horses dumped in this way,” said RSPCA animal rescue officer Suzi Fothergill, who is investigating.
“This poor horse was just dumped like a piece of rubbish and it is so upsetting for everyone involved when an animal is treated so callously like this.
“There was no evidence that the horse had been moving or struggling where she was found so she may have died before she was dumped.
“The skewbald mare had some injuries; she had a six-inch diamond-shaped gash wound on her left flank, she was bleeding from her tail and there was evidence of foam around her mouth.
“She had clearly been owned as her tail was plaited, her mane was cropped and she was wearing shoes – but she was not microchipped.”
Ms Fothergill added that tyre tracks were visible on the bridleway, which she said is “likely how the person transported her”.
“We don’t know where she has come from, or who did this to her, so we’re appealing to the public to share any information they may have about how she died and who dumped her,” she added.
A statement from the RSPCA said the charity receives “a lot of calls” about dead, or dying horses found dumped, which it said is “due to the cost of treating them or properly disposing of the body”.
Dead horses dumped on land are the responsibility of the council or landowner to remove.
The charity is asking anyone with information to contact it on 0300 123 8018.
https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/dead-horse-dumped-essex-bridleway-820530
CONVICTED
CONVICTED | West Midlands hare coursing gang members Kevin Skelding, 39, from Donnington, Telford, Craig Richards, 48, and Scott Richards, 33,, both of Rowley Regis: caught armed with dogs to hunt hares.
The trio who are all well-known to rural crime police officers, admitted trespassing in pursuit of game and being equipped to hunt hares with dogs.
The court heard that a member of the public called police on October 28 2022, after spotting the three men with lurcher dogs on land in Market Drayton, north Shropshire.
Police sent an armed response unit and scrambled the force helicopter.
At the scene, officers found an unattended Kia Sportage.
Skelding and Craig Richards were found hiding in a wooded area and arrested.
Scott Richards was found in a location away from the other two. The lurcher dogs were found with the vehicle.
The three were found to be in possession of a catapult and ball bearings as well as slip leads. They claimed they were just walking their dogs.
Sentencing | Craig Richards was ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work while Scott Richards was ordered to do 120 hours and Skelding 100 hours. All three men were ordered to pay £624 each towards kennelling costs.
Photo L-R Scott Richards, Craig Richards, Kevin Skelding.
CONVICTED
Serial violent dog abuser Allan Gillies, 41, from Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire – subjected his two dogs to a campaign of “wanton cruelty”.
Gillies, who was previously convicted of animal cruelty in 2017*, was captured on CCTV abusing a French bulldog named Reg and a Rottweiler/Staffy cross called Rex (pictured bottom right), causing both animals to suffer “extreme fear, pain and mental suffering”.
Fiscal depute Jane Spark told the court that an SSPCA inspector viewed the CCTV footage on February 21, 2022.
“The accused was seen approaching the white French Bulldog, Reg, while screaming at him and picked it up by the lead in an unacceptable manner,” Ms Spark said.
“He then swung the dog around in the air with force and caused it to strike off the exterior wall of the flat.
“It was noted that the accused was extremely angry at this time and he was seen picking up a table leg from a coffee table in his garden and throwing it, sticking the dog on the back.”
During a separate incident, Gillies was again seen on CCTV screaming at Rex. He grabbed the dog by the face before lifting him off the ground by his ears.
Gillies then dropped Rex and picked up a piece of rubber, which he struck him with before dragging the dog along the ground and back into his flat.
He pleaded guilty to two charges of causing animals unnecessary suffering.
On learning that he would be going to prison, Gillies exclaimed: “I didn’t think I’d get sent to jail for this!”
Sentencing | six months in prison. Deprivation order for Rex and Reg. 10-year ban on owning dogs.
===
2017 Conviction
Gillies’ previous animal cruelty conviction related to a Rottweiler named Hunter and a tan-coloured crossbreed called Copper (both are pictured).
He admitted causing unnecessary suffering to Copper by seizing him by the collar, restricting his breathing.
He also confessed to lifting the dog and throwing him to the ground, and kicking him on the body at a property on Inverurie Road, Bucksburn.
The court also heard about Gillies’ harsh training techniques in regard to Hunter, which included kicking the dog in the genitals if he ran away.
Sentencing was deferred until November 10, 2017 to allow the court to receive more information from the Scottish SPCA on whether Gillies should be allowed to keep Hunter, but the outcome isn’t known.
PEMBROKE South-West Wales
Man arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty after dead puppies are found in bin bags.
Police and the RSPCA attended the scene at Olivers View, Pembroke over the weekend.
According to the Pembrokeshire Herald neighbours had been complaining for months to the housing association, council, police, and other authorities that the occupant of the flat was not living there regularly, but using it as a dog breeding business.
Despite their efforts to alert the authorities, nothing was apparently done forcing neighbours to take direct action.
A witness described events. They said: “On Friday someone living nearby discovered that the door to the property in question was not securely locked, so they entered the property to look for the dogs.
“The neighbours had heard puppies and dogs crying for months. Several very malnourished animals were discovered at the premises and the neighbours took animals away from the property to care for them.
“The photos taken showed animals in a horrific state, skinny, and close to death.
“The owner of the property came back and found the animals were gone, and confronted one neighbour. This escalated into a window being smashed and the dog owner being arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.
“However, the police were not able to get the RSPCA involved at the time, and the animal welfare charity said they would be there as soon as possible, and the police left.
“On Saturday someone discovered a number of dead puppies in the shed, and the police were called in again.
“This time, the police responded in some numbers and the RSPCA turned up and confiscated all the animals, and the dog breeder was re-arrested.”
It is understood that there were either six or seven dogs at the property found alive, which have now been taken into the care of the RSPCA, who came from Swansea to attend the incident.
CONVICTED
CONVICTED (2023) | serial animal rapist Shane Taylor-Waters, 42, from Accrington, Lancashire – caught entering horse stables “with intent to commit a sexual offence”.
Police officers were called at around 12.40am on May 16, 2022, by the owner of the stable block to say he had found Taylor-Waters crouched behind his horse.
Taylor-Waters was arrested on suspicion of burglary and said to police: “I’m in an unstable situation.
“I’ve tried getting medication for it. I’m on licence.
“I have an unusual habit.”
When Taylor-Waters was further arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty, he said: “I thought about doing it. Then thought better.”
In 2020 Taylor-Waters was jailed for 30 months and given an indefinite ban on keeping animals after breaking into a farm and raping numerous chickens, of which at least 15 died. He also admitted having sex “5 or 6 times” with his own dog, a Great Dane named Maddie (pictured). He said he knew the dog didn’t like it and would growl and bite him.
Taylor-Waters, whose previous convictions for similar offences go back as far as 1997, admitted to police that he could not control his ‘urges’ when it came to sexual intercourse with animals.
https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/23393810.pervert-went-stables-commit-sexual-act-horse/
APPEAL FOR INFORMATION
Bids-ton Hill, Wirral, Merseyside: hunt is on for the killers of a dog whose charred remains were found at a beauty spot.
*** UPDATE 16 March: Gray Taylor of Wirral Fox Rescue/Pawprints Wildlife Rescue who found the dog is raising funds for a reward. https://gofund.me/476d683a ***
Around 12.30pm on Sunday (March 12) staff at Tam O’Shanter Urban farm in Bidston were alerted by a member of the public to the fact that there appeared to be a half-burned fox on nearby Bidston Hill.
The horrific discovery was examined by a vet, who confirmed it was a dog. The female Staffy had multiple broken bones and deep cutting blows and had dragged herself an estimated 3-4 metres to escape.
At some point she was set on fire.
The animal’s remains have been scanned to see if she was chipped. Police and RSPCA have been informed.
The dog’s body was found on part of the path leading to Bidston Windmiill
Jo Wood MBE, Treasurer and Trustee of Tam O’Shanter Cottage Urban Farm Trust, told the Globe: “This is a barbaric act of cruelty that cannot go unpunished.
“The evil creatures who carried out this act clearly have no regard for any living creature except themselves.
“Such behaviour, if unaddressed, will typically lead to an escalation in violence as the perpetrator gains confidence from getting away with murder.
“We can only imagine the fear and pain endured by this noble animal as she was slaughtered in such a barbaric way.”
An RSPCA spokesperson said: “This is a shocking and senseless act of cruelty which is so upsetting to hear about and we would urge anyone with first-hand information about what happened to this poor dog to contact us on 0300 1234 999 or Merseyside Police.”
https://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/23383604.burned-body-dead-dog-found-bidston-hill/
See also (content warning – includes graphic images of the dog’s remains): https://www.facebook.com/gray.taylor.182/posts/pfbid0XUTsqFjgNpr3dJ8NFE8Q2ZwWLx1r8EDNavZEtbKm6Brp13hR4fcuHjgRnHJb5XDQl
CARMA
EndBSL | seven-month-old Carma euthanised by Hertfordshire Constabulary after being assessed as “predominantly” of a banned breed.
The puppy was voluntarily signed over to police by her owner – disturbed TikTok star Cheyanne Ceasar from the Three Rivers area of Watford – in full knowledge that she would be euthanised.
It appears that other options were available to Ceasar, who gained notoriety on the TikTok platform after posting a sexual video involving a cat (there are other animal abuse allegations against her in relation to an injured puppy named Chylo), but she chose to sentence the dog to certain death instead.
Carma’s case was picked up by not-for-profit group Save Our Seized Dogs which campaigns to end Breed Specific Legislation (BSL)
BSL, introduced as part of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and described as “a flawed and failing approach” by the RSPCA, prohibits four breeds including pit bull terriers.
Save Our Seized Dogs said: “[the dog] was let down by our laws which decide that a dog is dangerous based on their appearance, Breed Specific Legislation needs to end, the public is not kept safe by good dogs being killed.”
The group also questioned whether this particular pet should have been classed as a pit bull.
Police maintain normal procedure was followed.
A spokesperson said: “The dog was examined by an expert who confirmed the dog was predominantly a pit bull-type dog and therefore prohibited.
“Due to the dog being voluntarily signed over by the owner and subsequently put to sleep by specially-trained officers, the owner would not have been able to have an independent assessment conducted and as such we cannot proceed with the investigation.
“In this case, the owner decided to sign the dog over to police in the full knowledge that it would be put to sleep.”
The Watford Observer contacted DEFRA, the relevant government department, for a response to Save Our Seized Dogs.
It said that the Government “firmly believes” Dangerous Dogs Act restrictions “play a very important part in our overall approach towards tackling dangerous dogs”.
DEFRA explained that a court can decide individual prohibited dogs may be kept, but there are certain criteria that must be met before an animal can go on the Index of Exempted Dogs, even then they must be kept under strict conditions.
It added that prohibited dogs can only be transferred to someone else where the existing owner has died or is seriously ill.
https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/23373191.defra-responds-backlash-banned-dog-put/
CONVICTED
Backyard breeder Susan Boobyer 52, from Bridgwater, Somerset – kept five dogs in cages with a lack of food, water and bedding.
Boobyer admitted to three animal welfare offences in relation to dogs Rex, Suzie, Foxy, Bella and Annie.
RSPCA Inspector Jo Daniel persuaded Boobyer to let her take two of the dogs, Rex and Suzie, to a vet on May 5, 2022, after the breeder had ignored repeated warnings to do so.
Inspector Daniel said: “Once the dogs arrived at the vet, Rex jumped into the sink, holding his nose to the tap and desperately drank the water provided – together with another three bows after that.
“Suzie also quickly drank a bowl of water, and both readily ate food offered to them.
“The vet who examined the dogs confirmed they were suffering.”
Veterinary evidence showed that Rex and Suzie were both very underweight with their bones visible. They were also both suffering from dental disease.
Suzie, the mum of pups Annie and Bella, was also found to have discolouration of fur indicating flea allergic dermatitis.
Rex and Susie were seized by police and Boobyer was served with a further animal welfare advice notice, advising her that her remaining dogs needed to be provided with bedding and fresh water at all times.
During a follow-up visit on May 13, 2022 Inspector Daniel found an adult dog known as Foxy and two 10-week old pups shut in with several piles of faeces over the floor. Neither bedding nor water was available for the dogs.
Boobyer confirmed that the dogs had not seen a vet but refused to allow Inspector Daniel to take them to see one. Police were called and Foxy and the puppies were seized.
Foxy was found to have marked dental disease, while Bella and Annie were underweight with healing ulcers on their pads either from urine or faecal scale or being caged with inappropriate bedding. The puppies were also suffering from anaemia due to their parasitic burden.
The five dogs have been in the care of the RSPCA since they were rescued and will be rehomed soon.
Sentencing | 12 months in prison suspended for two years. Ordered to pay £600 costs and a £156 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping animals for 15 years.
https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/woman-who-neglected-dogs-banned-8239490
CONVICTED
Emma Parker, 39, from Great Gonerby, Grantham, Lincs – cut her hamster in half while he was still alive, and was then filmed eating him
Stomach-churning videos of Parker cutting the hamster, Mr Nibbles, with a knife while he was still alive were circulated online, prompting an RSPCA investigation.
The videos filmed at Parker’s home were sent to the RSPCA by a concerned member of the public.
Gordon Holt, prosecuting, said: ‘The two videos seen on social media showed the defendant with a hamster in a hamster ball.
‘The defendant is holding the ball with a knife in the other hand .
‘She takes the knife and plunges it through the opening of the ball moving the knife from side to side.
‘A spectator is heard laughing and says ‘you are a sick b* you are.’
‘The hamster can be heard repeatedly squealing, it is allowed to escape and runs around a while.
‘The defendant attempts to strike it with the knife, successfully at least once.
‘She pinches its neck to keep it still.
‘It is still alive and she uses the knife in a chopping and sawing motion over the middle of the hamster’s body.
‘In the second video the defendant eats the two halves of the dissected body.’
During a police interview, Parker admitted the video was of her and claimed she was helping the hamster to die after it had been bitten by one of her dogs.
Parker refused to name those filming the footage, telling police: “They are not nice people”.
In court, the mother-of-one admitted one charge of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Chris Brewin, mitigating, said Parker had been targeted as a result of the video, with her home vandalised and dog faeces put through the letter box.
Passing sentence Judge James House KC told Parker he had to take into account that Parliament had recently raised the maximum sentence for such animal cruelty from six months to five years’ imprisonment.
Sentencing | one year in prison. A 15-year ban on keeping animals.
CONVICTED
CONVICTED | Callum Paramos, 21, from North Shields, Tyne and Wear – left an underweight dog unattended in an empty flat.
Paramos pleaded guilty to animal cruelty in relation to a skinny lurcher named Zeus kept in the kitchen of his flat in Seymour Street, North Shields.
RSPCA inspector Helen Bestwick described the scene in a witness statement to the court.
She said: “I immediately noticed a strong smell of urine.”
“The dog was in a thin bodily condition and I could easily see its ribs, hips and spine. His nails were also long. The dog was bright, alert and friendly.”
Inspector Bewick noted that the flat seemed to contain no personal belongings, suggesting that no one lived there.
She said: “The sofa had been chewed and shredded by the dog. In the kitchen there was a large bag of Wagg dog biscuits which looked like it was nearly full.
“There was a bowl of biscuits down and a paint tray being used for water. They looked like they had just been put there. I suspected the dog was regularly being left alone in the flat for long periods of time.”
In a court statement a vet said that Zeus was 15% underweight, with his ribs, vertebrae and pelvic bones easily visible.
The vet added that the area where Zeus was kept was “littered with faecal material and looked to be wet”.
In court, Paramos conceded that his care of Zeus had been inadequate.
Zeus was taken into the care of RSPCA Felledge Animal Centre, before being transferred to the RSPCA Bryn Y Maen Animal Centre, where he can now be rehomed.
Sentencing | 20-month community order with 40 hours of unpaid work; £100 in costs and £114 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping dogs for just two years.
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-shields-dog-owner-court-26420531
CONVICTED
Kyle Moore, aged 19, from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire – left a French bulldog puppy to starve to death in a filthy flat.
Eight-month-old French bulldog Coco slowly starved to death over several weeks after being abandoned by Moore. The callous teenager had been paid to look after the puppy by his sister, Leanne Griffiths, after she and boyfriend Jon Brookshaw (also pictured) moved out to set up home elsewhere. Backyard breeders Griffiths and Brookshaw were also prosecuted in relation to Coco’s death and sentenced in January 2023. Details here:
Moore watched as the puppy became thinner and thinner while ‘forgetting’ to feed, water and walk her until she eventually died alone and in pain.
Her skeletal remains were discovered alongside children’s toys and piles of rubbish by agents acting for the landlords of the flat in Birkenhead, Wirral, following complaints from neighbours about the smell.
Leanne Griffiths was later traced to her new home.
It emerged that she and Brookshaw had taken on Coco for breeding purposes, but when Griffiths moved out in March 2022 she refused to take the dog to their new home due to the puppy not being toilet trained.
RSPCA prosecutor Peter Mitchell said that police were called to a flat on Dorset Gardens on Old Chester Road in Birkenhead on May 12, 2022, following a request by the landlord Magenta Housing.
‘They were due to carry out an eviction on this premises,’ Mr Mitchell said. ‘There was a strong smell and numerous flies coming from the flat.
‘They entered the property whose registered occupant was Leanne Griffiths, who is the defendant’s sister. There was no person present. However, it was discovered that there was a dog dead in the premises, a black and tan bulldog type dog.
The RSPCA was contacted and Inspector Anthony Joynes attended the same day.
Moore said he was going about two times per week to feed Coco, believing that his sister was going as well. He admitted he forgot to feed Coco ‘quite often’.
The court heard that Kyle Moore, who was said to be on the autistic spectrum, knew the animal was “barely alive” but believed it was not his responsibility
After the case RSPCA Inspector Anthony Joynes said: It’s hard to prepare yourself to walk in and deal with an incident where a dog has been starved to death.
‘You know you can’t do anything to help at that stage, and all you can do is remain professional and investigate the case to ensure that the animal’s suffering does not go unanswered.
‘I noted that the dog was wearing a collar with a tag containing the name ‘Coco’ engraved onto one side but it was far too big, providing some indication of how big the dog may have been at some point before losing body condition, as people generally don’t put collars on their dogs that are far too big and can just slip off.’
‘It remains one of the saddest sights I’ve ever seen in 14 years, Coco just lying there dead, emaciated and alone surrounded by children’s toys and bits of rubbish, having been completely let down by the people she relied upon.’
Sentencing | 18 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months; 15 rehabilitation activity days; 50 hours of unpaid work; victim surcharge of £154. Disqualified from owning an animal for the next five years.
METROPOLITAN POLICE APPEAL
Beckton, East London: Gang suspected of capturing and torturing foxes in a wooded area at night.
The Metropolitan Police are investigating the “appalling, cruel incidents” after an animal rescue group told them that a fox had been set on fire.
During the incident near Kestrel Avenue and Linton Gardens, in Beckton, a member of the public called rescuers as they were woken by the sound of screaming on Monday at 1am.
At first, they thought that the cries were from a human being, but after looking closer, they saw a group of men pouring what is believed to be lighter fluid over a fox and setting it on fire with a lighter.
Scotland Yard said the badly-burnt fox managed to escape but the extent of its injuries, or if it survived, is not known.
Detectives have discovered that the group – described as four black men aged about 18 to 20 – regularly go to the area in the early hours of the morning, and it is believed they have previously captured and tortured foxes.
Their methods include starting fires to smoke the canines out of their dens and setting their dogs on them, according to the police.
Detective Constable James Mahoney, a wildlife crime officer in Newham and Waltham Forest, said he was “truly shocked and sickened” by the “appalling, cruel incidents”.
“I would appeal to anyone with information to come forward so we can catch those responsible and prevent any more foxes from being hurt,” he said.
“If you live in the area, please check any doorbell, dash cam or CCTV footage in case you’ve captured these heinous crimes or a group of males matching the description loitering around.
“It is also possible that the group are not just targeting foxes in the Kestrel Avenue area, and so I’d urge the people of Newham to remain vigilant and report any information to us or Crimestoppers anonymously.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD 2533/27FEB or to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
CONVICTED
CONVICTED | puppy farmer Robert Bransby, 36, of Brynteg, Broughton, Wrexham, North Wales – illegally bred and sold dogs kept in atrocious conditions .
Rob Bransby was originally prosecuted by the RSPCA alongside mother Alison Bransby and sister Kayleigh Bransby in relation to an illegal dog breeding business based in Tilstock, Shropshire. Although the women were sentenced in October 2022, Rob Bransby failed to show up at court.
He has now been jailed after admitting breeding and selling dogs without a licence.
Thirty-five dogs, including cavapoos, cockapoos, dachshunds, Cavalier King Charles spaniels and terriers were found living in appalling conditions during a warrant carried out on February 24, 2021 by the RSPCA and West Mercia police.
The raid followed complaints from members of the public who had bought puppies and dogs from the farm which later became ill.
The family advertised ‘home-bred’ puppies for sale on different websites but the reality was a large-scale puppy farm with dogs housed in wooden sheds, pens and kennels, some barely bigger than a large rabbit hutch.
The court heard that the family had made £150,000 from illegally breeding and selling the puppies, and around £9,000 in cash was seized from a safe at the property during the operation.
In her evidence, Kate Parker, the RSPCA inspector who led the investigation, said: “There were wooden sheds with stable type doors.
“Inside I could see a typical breeding set up for puppies, with a heat lamp angled over a plastic dog bed, an empty bowl and some soiled rags inside the bed.
“Inside a lean-to type construction there was a row of metal constructed kennels.
“There was a thin layer of sawdust on the concrete floor, clutter, household items and electrical cables dangling inside, accessible by the dogs housed in each.”
RSPCA animal centres in Leicester, Birmingham and Aylesbury, assisted by a number of the charity’s fosterers, took in the animals, who have been rehomed.
Speaking after the hearing, chief inspector Ian Briggs from the RSPCA’s special operations unit, who assisted the investigation on the illegal selling, said: “We’d always encourage anyone thinking of getting a puppy to adopt rather than buy, and to do lots of research first to ensure they source a dog responsibly.”
Sentencing | 18 weeks of immediate custody; £728 in costs and victim surcharge. Banned from keeping dogs for 15 years.
DOG SHOW CANCELLED
A dog show hosted by the American Bully Kennel Club (ABKC) UK has been cancelled following a BBC investigation into the trading of the popular breed.
The event was due to be held at Coventry Building Society Arena on 11 February. A spokesperson for the arena confirmed the previously scheduled ABKC event had been cancelled following the BBC’s revelations, which aired on the Panorama and Disclosure programmes on Monday night.
Footage gathered by undercover journalists at an ABKC UK show in Manchester showed hundreds of dogs paraded with cropped ears.
The RSPCA says ear-cropping is a painful, unnecessary procedure that should never be celebrated. The practice is also illegal in the UK under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2006.
The ABKC in the UK is run by convicted heroin trafficker William Byrne, from Wemyss Bay, and Sean Main, from Glasgow, who was cleared of running a £6m drugs racket. Heroin was found in 160 boxes of dog food delivered to his wife’s grooming parlour. A jury found the charges against him not proven.
Also exposed on Disclosure was Gary Hemming, an Edinburgh man with multiple convictions for violence spanning 20 years. Hemming uses the name Gari Ferrari to breed hairless French Bulldogs (two of his social media promo images are pictured)..
Scottish SPCA Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said he welcomed the cancellation of the ABKC show.
“We would hope that any Scottish venues considering hosting one of these shows think carefully about whether the practices shown in the programme are ones that they want to be associated with,” he said.
Hundreds of people were expected to attend the Coventry show, which was to feature a range of breeds, including American bullies, bulldogs and cane corsos.
Refunds will now have to be provided to those who had already bought tickets.
ABKC UK has been approached by the BBC for a response.
Panorama and Disclosure are available to watch on the iPlayer:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001hl5l/disclosure-series-5-the-dog-dealers
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001hjbw/panorama-dogs-dealers-and-organised-crime
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64317161
CONVICTED
CONVICTED | Jac Elliot Jones, 28, from Brecon, Mid-Wales – attacked his pet dog while high on drugs.
Jones launched a “drug-fuelled, unprovoked attack” on French bulldog Tommy (pictured) in November 2022. The abuse was described as being “of a serious nature … involving multiple kicks to the head and body”.
Jones admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and was jailed for 18 weeks.
A deprivation order was also made against Jones, preventing him from ownership of Tommy in the future.
He also received a 10-year ban on owning or keeping any animal.
https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/23278830.jail-powys-man-drug-fuelled-attack-pet-dog/
CONVICTED
CONVICTED | Claire Jones, 49, born Rothwell, Northamptonshire -kept horses in ‘cruel and degrading’ conditions.
Jones was prosecuted by the RSPCA after inspectors found two of her horses with lice, cracked hoofs and urine scalds. Both were very lean with bones visible through their fur.
On April 14, 2022, an officer from World Horse Welfare attended the Rothwell yard where Jones was keeping her horses and found the stable to be very dirty with a strong smell.
Prosecuting, Janita Patel said: “Both [horses] were found to be in a very poor bodily condition.”
The officer gave Jones advice on the horses and cleaning up the stable.
On two occasions over the next 10 days the RSPCA attempted to visit but the gate was locked. They applied for a warrant, before returning with police and a vet on April 28.
They found 12-year-old mare Pixie and two-year-old colt Gary in conditions which were ‘unsuitable and unhygienic’ with no proper bedding.
Pixie was so thin that her ribs, hips and spine were clearly visible. She had patches of hair loss, obvious evidence of a lice infestation and her hoofs were overgrown, cracked and split.
Gary was excitable when he came out of the stable. His bones were clearly visible with hair loss and lice. He had hard matted faeces stuck to his hair because there was no bedding and he had to lie on the stable floor. Gary also had urine scalds on his leg and his hoofs were also overgrown, cracked and split.
The ground of the stable was saturated with urine .
Ms Patel said: “It’s shocking [that] they could be kept there 24/7.”
A vet said that they had suffered for several months. A farrier who examined the ponies was of the opinion that their hoofs hadn’t been trimmed for between six and eight months.
Ms Patel said warning notices had been sent to Jones but that she had failed to accept the advice.
She said: “They have fallen on deaf ears.”
Jones later signed the horses over and admitted three animal welfare offences, including two of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Sentencing | 26 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months; 150 hours of unpaid work; costs and surcharge totalling of £654. Disqualified from keeping animals for 10 years.
https://ukanimalcrueltyfiles.org/rothwell-northamptonshire-claire-jones/
MEET DANNY PEEL
Meet Danny Peel, a convicted dog abuser from Darlington and the latest criminal lowlife to jump on the unethical extreme dog breeding bandwagon.
In 2015 Peel was given a five-year ban after being caught on CCTV kicking a dog’s head like a football. The footage showed Peel, who already had multiple previous convictions for violence, repeatedly stamping on the female pitbull terrier, named Sacha, in front of a group of mates.
One horrified witness recalled hearing a “crunch” as Sacha’s head smashed against the pavement. Another said they saw the dog beaten five or six further times, which wasn’t seen on the footage.
In 2022 and keen to get involved in the lucrative bully breeding trade, which is proving so attractive to criminals like himself, Peel launched Darlington Bully Camp (styled Darlingtonbullycamp or DBC). The business specialises in XL American bulldogs and most of the dogs advertised have mutilated cropped ears.
DBC works hand in hand with a local so-called canine fertility clinic called Platinum K9Care, one of the 300+ that have sprung up in the UK in the past two years alone (before that there were just 37).
An animal welfare investigator talking to BBC reporter Sam Poling during her recent exposé on extreme dog breeding said this: “The big breeders, the majority of them, are criminals; drug dealers, organised crime gangs, who are driving the market. It’s exactly the same business model as selling drugs, but it’s dogs.”
Well here’s yet another example of a criminal – and an extremely violent one at that – making money off the backs of mutilated and exploited animals who are surely destined for a life of cruelty and abuse. Does he have a breeding licence? Probably not. Does anyone in charge care about that? Possibly but he’s probably exploiting one of the many legal loopholes that allow scumbags like him to do exactly what they please and without intervention from any authority. The biggest sufferers as always will be the dogs.
https://ukanimalcrueltyfiles.org/darlington-county-durham-danny-peel/
CONVICTED
CONVICTED | backyard breeders Leanne Brookshaw, 32, and Jon Brookshaw, 36, of Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside – left a dog to starve to death in an empty flat.
Bulldog Coco starved to death after her owners, newly married couple Leanne and Jon Brookshaw moved out of their previous home in Dorset Gardens, Birkenhead, leaving her behind. A police officer attending the filthy property found the dog’s remains and alerted the RSPCA.
Prosecutor Peter Mitchell told the court: “[the officer] saw the flat was in a total state, with dog faeces on the floor and no sign of any food or water for the dog.”
RSPCA inspector Anthony Joynes visited the scene. He reported an “overwhelming smell of decomposition, faeces and urine”, and saw the body of the black-and-tan dog.
Faeces and dried diarrhoea were on the floor of the flat, and Inspector Joynes saw there was no food and several dry, empty water bowls.
The flat was registered to Leanne Brookshaw in her maiden name of Leanne Griffiths and Inspector Joynes met with her and husband, Jon Brookshaw.
Jon Brookshaw immediately said: “What’s going on, how is she, is she dead? I’ll kill him”, referring to his wife’s brother Kyle Stephen Moore, who was also prosecuted in relation to Coco’s death (sentencing to follow).
It was confirmed the couple were responsible for the dog, but Leanne Brookshaw said she had been paying Moore to care for her.
During interview, the mother-of-three said she had been given the dog on breeding terms months earlier, but admitted it may have been more than five days since she last checked on the dog.
She said she and her husband hadn’t taken Coco with them because she would be attacked by their other dog, Molly.
She said she had visited Dorset Gardens since moving, and saw water and biscuits but agreed the “place was a shithole”.
She agreed last time she checked on the animal, the dog was skinnier and had lost weight. She described the animal as having access to water but no food, and acting lethargic and weaker than usual.
She also said the dog had diarrhoea but she “thought it just needed feeding more”, before admitting the bulldog did eat when fed.
During interview Jon Brookshaw said he visited Dorset Gardens after Coco’s body was found but admitted that was the first time in months he had done so.
He moved out of the property in November 2021, and his wife moved March 2022. The dog had been left at the property for two months. He said his dog Molly was protective and this was the reason they couldn’t bring Coco with them.
Jon Brookshaw’s dog Molly was found to have a skin condition, but has now been safely rehomed.
Sentencing | 18 weeks; imprisonment each, suspended for 12 months; 100 hours of unpaid work each; rehabilitation activity requirement; a total of £628 in costs and surcharge. A FIVE-year ban on owning an animal (expires January 2028).
https://ukanimalcrueltyfiles.org/birkenhead-merseyside-leanne-and-jon-brookshaw/
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/dog-starved-death-after-being-26063022
GANGSTERS ‘GETTING RICH’
Exposed by the BBC: gangsters ‘getting rich’ by selling ‘designer’ bulldogs on social media for thousands
BBC Panorama reporter Sam Poling spent eight months investigating the dog-breeding underworld.
iPlayer link:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001hjbw/panorama-dogs-dealers-and-organised-crime
Ms Poling identified a convicted “county lines” drug dealer who appeared to be selling American Bully puppies from prison.
Thomas Rayment, of Warrington, Cheshire, was jailed in 2021 for running a heroin and crack cocaine gang.
His Facebook messenger account was used repeatedly to set up a deal with Ms Poling.
The account says he runs the UK arm of a major breeding business called Muscletone Bullys UK, based in Hindley, Wigan.
His business partner Ryan Howard said Rayment was brokering the deal from prison, although he later denied this when contacted by the BBC.
Howard is not licensed to breed and sell dogs but in undercover footage, he told Panorama he had a “huge network” of around 120 dogs.
He explained that most are “co-owns”, in which a dealer gets someone else to house the dog and pays them a percentage from its sale.
It means a dealer can have a network of dogs without the authorities having any idea how many they have.
An animal welfare investigator spoke about the connection between organised crime and extreme dog breeding.
The investigator, who did not want to be named, said: “It’s a massively lucrative trade. The big breeders… the majority are criminals, drug dealers, organised crime gangs. It’s exactly the same business model as selling drugs. But we’re talking about dogs.”
Panorama also went undercover at the American Bully Kennel Club (ABKC) UK show, with Ms Poling witnessing a parade of extremely bred dogs with illegally cropped ears. At the show she’s forced to rub shoulders with unsavoury characters including dog breeding clinic owner Nathan Stevens from Stockport, who was jailed for attacking a man with a glass, and convicted fraudster Anton Boston of Boston Bullies based in Cardiff. More on Boston here: https://ukanimalcrueltyfiles.org/splott-cardiff-anton-boston/
She manages to capture on camera two 10-week-old pups with freshly cropped ears at the Stoke-on-Trent home of Aaron Lee (aka Aaron Wareham), owner of Balaclava Bullies and an ABKC judge.
Ear cropping is a practice the RSPCA calls “appalling”.
Panorama identified another breeding business, not connected to organised crime, but producing English bulldogs with extreme features, even though the owners had recently been successfully prosecuted.
Karl Shellard, 44, and wife Victoria, 41, of Bonvilston, South Wales, were convicted of animal welfare offences and fined £19,000 each last year.
When the police raided their home they found 27 dogs. They were selling their extreme breed of English bulldogs for up to £20,000 each on social media.
The programme found the Shellards are still in business and Karl boasted of making up to £100,000 in one month.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/gangsters-getting-rich-selling-designer-29031497
PUPPY FARMERS EXPOSED
Puppy Farmers Exposed | English travellers Emily Sutcliffe from Hest Bank, Lancaster and Jack Reay from Overton, Morecambe
Yesterday, online news site Donkey Junk reported that several dogs had escaped from a squalid puppy farm run by a known animal abuser Emily Sutcliffe, whose breeding licence was revoked by Lancaster City Council earlier this year.
Four of the frantic dogs brought traffic on the busy main road to a standstill while a further 12 – said to be covered in faeces – were spotted ravenously eating rubbish scattered across the filthy yard. Other dogs could be heard howling in distress from a dark and foul-smelling shed at the bottom of the garden.
Sutcliffe was nowhere to be seen.
Members of the public lifted the dogs back over the fence to relative safety and tried to barricade the fence the best they could.
A dog warden attended due to evidence of animal cruelty, along with police. Further updates to follow.
A witness to events said: of Emily Sutcliffe that “she keeps the dogs there for nothing more than breeding to make money, they are always escaping, all they want is some food and some love, none of which they get there.”
In June 2022 Sutcliffe’s puppy farm and a second one owned by her associate Jack Reay (the pair are also co-directors of a canine fertility clinic) hit local news headlines after a catalogue of animal cruelty and neglect was discovered at each operation.
Authorities attended both premises and found dogs and puppies being kept in appalling conditions with no light, no food no water and heavily soiled bedding. Both breeders were absent during the raid with Sutcliffe having been out of the country for six days and Reay for four. Neither had made arrangements for their dogs to be looked after in their absence.
All of the dogs were seized and taken to a vet for assessment. Tragically, one little puppy died.
Shockingly the majority of the 46 dogs and puppies originally seized by the council were returned to the pair shortly after.
https://ukanimalcrueltyfiles.org/puppy-farmers-exposed-emily-sutcliffe-and-jack-reay/
The great escape:
https://www.donkeyjunk.com/post/dogs-escape-squalor-and-cause-havoc-on-morecambe-coastal-road
APPEAL FOR INFORMATION | Hull: litter of starving and poorly puppies rescued after being abandoned in a drain
Hull animal charity Ren’s Rescue is appealing for more information after two puppies from a litter of six have died in tragic circumstances after they were rescued from a drain.
The rescue took in the puppies after a man called to tell them that some animals he had did not look like they were doing well. He said his daughter had found them and brought them back to the house.
After taking a closer look at them, the man and his daughter realised that something was very wrong with the animals and called the charity on Tuesday, December 27.
Pamela Maunsell, the General Manager and chair of trustees at Ren’s Rescue said the puppies looked like they were six to seven weeks old, but in reality, they were actually four to five months old.
Pamela said she was not sure which Hull drain they were rescued from. The dogs, believed to be American Bulldogs, were starving when Ren’s Rescue took them in and appeared to be in very poor health.
Sadly two of them died shortly after the charity took them in, and one remains in critical condition. Their development had been severely stunted because of the neglect they have endured.
Pamela said: “We are desperately trying to find who their mother is. Someone somewhere must know who has bred them. These puppies have been maltreated over a considerable period of time.
“They’ve got no muscular development. Their nails have never been worn down, so they’ve never been able to walk around. They’ve got no muscle on their back.
“I doubt they have ever been out or seen the sun because they have rickets which is caused by a vitamin D deficiency. We need to find that mother fast, because otherwise they will be breeding from her again and we need to stop it.
“They have been handed over to the RSPCA now, they are investigating the situation with the hope of finding who has treated them so appallingly. The puppies are currently with a vet, where they are getting 24-hour care.”
The puppies will then be taken to RSPCA’s York centre. If they make it, they will be rehomed from there.
Pamela urges anyone who has any information on where the puppies came from or who their mother is to call RSPCA’s Animal Cruelty Line 0300 124 999.
Latest news from Ren’s Rescue:
URGENT HORSE WELFARE CASE
The area is Offord Cluny, St Neots Cambridgeshire PE19 5RT. A group of weak, very thin horses are being kept without food and water in what appears to be a barren field behind High Street, near the railway line. One thoroughbred mare looks to be in danger of imminent collapse from starvation.
The owner, who we can’t yet name for legal reasons, purports to be running a rescue and claims to take on horses from other sanctuaries, but according to a number of different sources has a long history of animal neglect. She previously operated from stables in Bedford but was apparently evicted and has relocated to her current set-up in Offord Cluny.
It’s alleged that prior to her eviction there was a multi-agency raid on her premises involving the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare. The scene was described as one of horror where multiple dead animals including pigs, chickens, sheep and goats were discovered. Ferrets and rabbits had reportedly starved to death in their filthy cages. A total of 16 horses said to be “skin and bone” were removed from her along with other animals . Following the raid, which took place in March 2020, it looked like the woman was going to be prosecuted for animal cruelty but for reasons as yet unknown the case against her did not proceed and the horses were all returned to her.
We have been told that within one year six horses in her care had died from either malnourishment or untreated health conditions.
There are many other allegations against this woman which are beyond the scope of this post, but as matters stand 10 horses and ponies are at serious risk of dying and no one is doing anything to stop it.
A group has been set up to raise awareness and monitor this woman’s activities. If you can help at all, please network with the members.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/326012176053032
CONVICTED | Montoyah Brewer
CONVICTED | Montoyah Brewer, 22, of Esholt Lane Travellers Site in Baildon, Shipley – failed to get medical help for a desperately unwell puppy.
Traveller Montoyah Brewer, daughter of notorious convicted animal abuser Henry Brewer, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a young Staffordshire bull terrier by failing to provide the veterinary attention she badly needed.
The eight-month-old dog, named Princess, was “riddled with mange,” unable to stand, had open sores, and both eyes were filled with puss”. She was also in the early stages of septicaemia.
She was eventually put down because of the seriousness of her condition, which had left her in serious pain.
Brewer tearfully told the court she had tried to help the dog, who she said belonged to another traveller named William Smith.
Smith later contacted the RSPCA, annoyed that they had put Princess down. They were unable to contact him to arrange an interview after that phone call.
Mr Brown, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, told the court Princess “was in severe pain and had early stage septicaemia.”
He added: “It appears she had been left with an unattended serious skin condition for some time.
“She must have been in pain for a minimum of a week, likely longer.
“Had treatment been given at an earlier stage it is likely that the dog would have recovered.”
Chairman of the Bench Brian Outlaw said: “We’ve looked at the photos of Princess – they are not the nicest photos to look at.
“It must have been very distressing for that dog, who in the end couldn’t stand, was blind and was wasting away.
“Put this behind you and learn from it.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order, with 15 rehabilitation days; ordered to pay £100 costs to the RSPCA and £95 victim surcharge.. She was banned from keeping dogs for 12 months.
https://ukanimalcrueltyfiles.org/shipley-west-yorkshire-henry-brewer/