Ban and suspended sentence for neglectful pet owner

A woman who kept her sick and neglected pets in an unsuitable living environment has been given a suspended prison sentence and banned from keeping animals.

Stephanie Sinclaire of the West Midlands was given a 26 week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months, and disqualified from keeping animals for ten years.

Sinclaire, who admitted four animal welfare offences following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA, was also ordered to carry out 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) days and pay £400 costs.

Animal rescuers from the charity found eight cats and five dogs inside her home in an unsanitary environment full of hazard and surrounded by a buildup of faeces and urine. 

There was no clean water source available and no comfortable bedding for resting. Some were found in small crates with no litter trays or heavily soiled litter trays and all had urine and faecal soiling to their coats.

The dogs were found to be suffering with a variety of health conditions including fleas, skin lesions, dental disease and eye discharge. Four of the five dogs and all eight of the cats were underweight because of a lack of food.

The vet who examined the animals said that as a result of these failures they will have suffered unnecessarily for weeks due to poor body condition and the associated feelings of weakness and hunger. 

Two dogs, Sykes and Ozzy, had lesions on their skin due to pressure from inappropriate housing and prolonged contact with urine and faeces causing scalding to the skin.

The vet who examined the dogs said Ozzy will have suffered unnecessarily for a number of weeks due to pain associated with severe spondylosis - a painful condition of the spine resulting from the degeneration of the intervertebral discs - affecting multiple regions of his spine. 

As a result of these spinal issues he developed painful urine scald and pressure sores affecting his limbs. 

In their report, the vet said: “This unnecessary suffering could have been avoided by seeking veterinary treatment, including pain relief and by providing an appropriate environment that would have prevented Ozzy from lying in his own urine and faeces.”

Sadly Ozzy had to be put to sleep by vets because of the severity of his condition. The other animals, who have been in RSPCA care since their rescue, can now be found new homes after Sinclaire was also deprived of ownership when she was sentenced. 

RSPCA Inspector Ben Jones said: “Our plea to all animal owners is to make sure they always receive care and treatment they need.

“Animals are completely reliant on their owners to ensure their needs are met and they are kept safe and healthy.”