Christchurch woman convicted of 13 animal welfare offences

A Christchurch woman, who kept a large number of Persian cats in 'squalor', has been convicted of 13 offences under the Animal Welfare Act.

RSPCA officers, who went to 64 year old Lorraine George’s home on March 8th last year, found the cats were living in the bathroom, bedrooms, ensuite and two pens in a conservatory of the property, which were all littered with faeces and dirt.

Many of the cats were in poor health, suffering from a number of ailments, including eye infections, respiratory illness, flea infestations, severely matted fur, while many were emaciated, two had ingrown claws and others dental issues.

One cat later had to be put to sleep to end her suffering.

George, of Freshwater Road, Christchurch, pleaded not guilty, but was convicted after a trial.

She's been sentenced ay Bournemouth Crown Court to 26 weeks in prison, suspended for two years.

She also received a disqualification order, which bans her from owning cats for 10 years and she was told to pay the costs of the legal proceedings, which amounted to £53,275.78.

RSPCA inspector Patrick Bailey said in a statement presented to the court that nearly all the ground floor of George’s property was inaccessible because of the amount of clutter:

“We were confronted by a wall of boxes and parcels, creating a thin walkway through the hallway to the kitchen, and I could hear cats calling throughout the house.

“There was also a very strong, unpleasant smell of ammonia and it was impossible to enter the living room and dining room as they were stacked floor to ceiling with boxes of belongings.

“There were no clean facilities to use and it appeared to me the property barely functioned as a home anymore, instead it resembled a storage facility.”

RSPCA officers removed the cats from six living spaces so they could be assessed by vets in a mobile treatment vehicle.

29 Persian cats were taken away from the property and treated - the cats remain in the care of the charity and will be rehomed.

Sentencing her, the judge, HHJ Fuller, KC, said:

“You had an excessive number of cats, which you were incapable of caring for. You obstinately refused to accept advice from others relating to the cats’ care. All these conditions would have been obvious to a careful and competent cat owner.

“This is not a case of incompetent care, this was prolonged disregard. This is a case of obstinacy and obsession and you showed deliberate disregard for animal welfare.”

Speaking after the sentencing, Inspector Bailey said:

“This case is an example of how the RSPCA will make every effort to try to educate an owner on the correct way to look after their animals before taking legal action.

“Inspectors repeatedly tried to encourage the defendant to reduce her number of cats, improve animal husbandry and crucially seek veterinary assistance in a timely manner, including euthanasia when required.

“But sadly, she didn’t make decisions based on what was in the best interests of each individual cat.”

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