A woman from Suffolk has been banned from keeping all animals, except dogs, for ten years following an RSPCA prosecution.
Michelle Ashford (DOB: 23.05.1974), now of the Marshes, Dengie in Essex, pleaded guilty to three Animal Welfare Act offences at Ipswich Magistrates Court after failing to meet her animals’ welfare needs – including providing a suitable environment and basic vet care and failing to prevent pain, suffering, injury and disease. She was also handed an 18 week suspended prison sentence.
RSPCA officers attended her former address at Thurlow Court in Stowmarket, Suffolk, on 19 October last year to carry out a welfare check, following concerns from members of the public about animals at the property. They discovered a large number of cats, guinea pigs and chinchillas living in squalor. Ashford agreed to sign over 95 animals, including 73 guinea pigs, 17 cats and five chinchillas, into RSPCA care.
RSPCA Inspector Shahnaz Ahmad attended the scene, and described accommodation much too small for the cats. She reported it had: “multiple flies around the enclosure and a strong smell of ammonia emanating from it, which indicated to me that it was likely not cleaned out regularly to a good standard.”
The cats – 16 Maine Coons and one Sphynx – had small wounds from fighting, and many had signs of cat flu. Many were unneutered. Pictures taken on a previous visit by a member of the public showed a kitten with heavy discharge around its eyes.
A vet who attended with Inspector Ahmad added: “I believe this was one of the worst environments, if not possibly the worst, that I have seen cats being housed in due to the tiny nature of the pen and their close proximity to one another. The cats were desperate for attention, vying for affection at the front of the pen wanting to be stroked. It was so sad to see them being kept in such an unsuitable fashion.“
A number of guinea pigs were housed in garden tubs inside a metal shed. Their accommodation was too small and they had insufficient water. They were also mixed sex. Ahmed said: “I noted in the second tub there was one very small juvenile guinea pig, likely not more than a few days old, that appeared to be getting trampled on by the bigger guinea pigs.”
There were a further 30 guinea pigs free-roaming in another shed, and more guinea pigs in crates stacked on top of each other.
The chinchillas were kept in cages inside a cupboard in a room in the house. Ahmad said: “I noted that the chinchillas appeared hunched over, lethargic and depressed while in their cages. The bottom cage was not secure, and the two males escaped into the room after the cupboard door was open. I expressed to Ashford that the chinchillas would have no natural light while shut in the cupboard but she did not respond to this.”
A vet, who saw the animals in the environment and examined them once they were signed over, said: “In my opinion all of the suffering experienced by all of the animals is avoidable with correct housing, nutrition and stimulation. It is my opinion that the owner has failed to meet the basic needs of every animal removed from her care. She has also neglected to seek veterinary treatment for the animals that required treatment, causing animals to be in pain unnecessarily, leading to their suffering. All of this was avoidable. The owner is also doing nothing to prevent the situation continuing to escalate by housing entire male and female animals of the same species together allowing further breeding.”
Three guinea pigs were euthanised on welfare grounds, while those surviving were all treated for lice. Two had to have an eye removed. Many of the cats had untreated eye conditions, low body condition scores and the vet estimated they had been suffering for potentially years.
Ashford pleaded guilty to all three offences at the hearing on 8 July. As well as the animal ban, she was given 18 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months, and 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days. She was fined £769 and ordered to pay £300 in costs and a £154 victim surcharge.
In mitigation, Ashford, who represented herself, said she no longer had any animals other than her three dogs. She said she was not a bad person but had a problem with collecting animals that she needed help for, and that she regretted her actions.
