Telford man and woman banned from keeping animals
A man and woman from Telford have been disqualified from keeping all animals after failing to keep 18 dogs in a suitable environment.
Ray Mainland and Sue Tweedie, both from Telford, were sentenced at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 29 March.
At the trial they were found guilty of one charge under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in that they failed to ensure the needs of 18 dogs - all Bouviers de Flandres and Portuguese water dogs - were met in relation to a suitable environment.
The court heard that Mainland and Tweedie had been the owners of a number of dogs and in January 2020 they sought to rehome these dogs, and during this process, concerns were raised about the conditions they were being kept in.
The court heard that RSPCA Inspector Kate Parker attended the address on 18 February 2020 and noted the yard of the property was full of items across the driveway and front garden, including various dog related items such as metal crates and heavily soiled blankets.
To the right hand side of the front door was access to the rear garden. It was blocked by a large metal purpose built dog pen, which had numerous piles of faeces in, and pools of urine on the concrete.
Numerous dogs barking
Inspector Parker knocked and got no reply, however she could hear numerous dogs barking from within the property and around the back.
In her witness statement, she said: “The window to the left of the front door, and the front door itself had a thick layer of a black substance, and the smell that was coming from within was foul. It was almost unbearable without being immediately in front of the door.
“The smell was an obvious smell of faeces and ammonia, which made me feel nauseous. I continued to knock on the front door, but I got no reply. I left a calling card requesting urgent contact by the occupier.”
On 19 March 2020, Inspector Parker drove past the location, and it appeared to be in the same condition outside.
In an independent expert veterinary report, a vet was instructed to look at the evidence in the form of documentation, laboratory results and photographs - which were taken by witnesses - and stated that all of the dogs under the care of Mainland and Tweedie were not met in their need for a suitable environment.
Magistrates handed Mainland and Tweedie the same sentence: disqualifying them from keeping all animals, and ordering them to each pay a £200 fine and £1,800 costs. The disqualification order was suspended for 21 days to allow the defendants to rehome the animals in their care.
