RSPCA show dirty conditions faced by caged cats in Jaywick

Alan Robert Turner, 56, and Sue Elizabeth Turner, 60, both of Brooklands Gardens, Jaywick, were sentenced at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 5 May, where they pleaded guilty to several animal welfare offences.

The couple were keeping nine cats in small cages, covered in faeces and with little, or no food or water.

They also had a number of dogs, including terrier Dudley who was suffering from dental issues, skin disease and dry eye.

Two other dogs, Spangle and Amber, were not being kept in a suitable environment, and two cats, called Khandi and Toby, were underweight.

Cramped cages: Inspectors were shocked at the conditions faced by the animals

RSPCA inspector Adam Jones, who investigated, said: “This was a sad case which saw multiple animals living in totally unsuitable conditions.

"The cats were kept inside cramped and filthy cages and Dudley was suffering from a skin condition which covered his back end and was clearly causing him pain.”

When Inspector Jones arrived at the property in January 2020, he immediately noticed the small grey and white terrier type dog Dudley.

He said: “The first thing I noticed was the fur loss to a considerable area of his back end.

"His skin is best described as resembling an elephant.

"It was grey, thick, wrinkly and tough. I did not get to examine Dudley well as he hid under the sofa, however the skin was clearly an issue that had been ongoing for some time.

“Mrs Turner told me that she only had two cats, two six-month-old kittens called Toby and Khandi, which were confined to one of the bedrooms.

"Both cats were black and white, short haired cats. The litter tray in this room was dirty and faeces was both in the tray and next to it.”

Suffering pets: Dogs were found to be suffering from medical conditions

After the visit, Dudley was taken by Inspector Jones to be checked over by a vet, who found live fleas on his body and worms in his faeces.

Inspector Jones still had concerns about reports there were multiple cats living in cages inside the property so contacted the police for assistance, who obtained a warrant to search the property in February 2020.

In his statement, Inspector Jones said: “I was shocked to see cats piled high in the room.

"I entered the room and the smell was overwhelming and I struggled to breathe.

"There were seven cages approximately 3ft x 2ft containing nine cats.

"The litter trays were overflowing, piled with faeces and urine.

"The edges of the cages were disgusting and encrusted with dirt.

"Many of the cats were without water or food. Some had a small amount of dirty water and some had access to dry food.

"There were empty cans of food on the floor of the room and a half full bag of cat litter in the middle of the room.”

There were 14 animals living in the property in total including Khandi, a black and white female cat and Toby, a black and white male cat.

Squalid conditions: Cats were kept in cramped cages

Inside the cages were nine cats, some of which had access to water and dry food, while others had none.

There were also two other dogs, Spangle, a Collie and Husky cross, Amber, a female tan chihuahua, and Dudley, the elderly terrier type dog.

The vet report stated that Dudley was underweight, suffering from halitosis, severe gingivitis, overgrown claws, hyper-keratinised skin.

He also had yellow discharge from his eyes, a poor coat quality and alopecia on his legs and dorsum, as well as fleas.

The vet report added that his dental disease would have been causing him pain as well as chronic skin disease and an eye infection.

The court heard that the vet report continued: “I believe this dog to have been suffering and I believe his suffering had been ongoing for a period of weeks to months.

"I believe medical treatment should have been sought by the owner and that they did not meet this dog's needs.

"The majority of Dudley's issues were very clearly visible on immediately walking into the clinic and therefore could not have gone unnoticed by the owner, or any non-medical professional.”

Another vet report into the condition of the cats which had been kept in cages found that many of the cats had fleas and were suffering from hair loss.

Two of the cats were excessively thin and one of the cats had large clumps of dried faeces and matted hair which the vet report states would have taken at least a week to build up.

In mitigation, the couple said they had difficult personal circumstances including disabilities and financial hardship.

The pair were banned from keeping all animals for 15 years and cannot contest for at least five years.

Mr Turner was also ordered to pay costs of £1,000 and a £95 victim surcharge, as well as a 12-month community order and 25 days of rehabilitation activity requirements.

Mrs Turner was ordered to pay costs of £1,500, a £95 victim surcharge and 30 days of rehabilitation activity requirement, as well as a 12-month community order.

There was also a deprivation order in place for the remaining two dogs, Spangles and Amber, who had not been signed over to be rehomed by the RSPCA at the time.

They will now come into the charity's care to be rehomed.