A Leeds man has been banned from keeping animals after puppies were found crammed in cages and infested with worms.
On Tuesday May 10, John Lowther, 45, from Kidacre Park, Leeds and Marina Lowther, 43, from Farsley, Leeds both pleaded guilty in Bradford Magistrates Court to four charges of causing unnecessary suffering to animals under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. It comes after the RSPCA followed up a report that a number of dogs were in a trailer parked near to Winter’s Farm in Appleby during the travellers fair on 13 August 2021.
The pair were prosecuted for neglecting 10 of the 14 animals that the RSPCA took in. RSPCA inspectors Keith Hogben and Deborah Beats discovered the dogs were being kept in unhygienic conditions in five cages at Appleby Horse Fair in Cumbria.
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Inside a plastic dog kennel there was a border terrier and three puppies, all of whom were found to be suffering from lice infection. A German Shepherd puppy was in such poor health that sadly a vet decided she needed to be put to sleep to end her suffering.
The RSPCA were advised by vets to have the puppies seized which took place under police supervision. Inspector Hogben said: “There were many dogs contained in cages.
"There was very little natural light in the trailer and a strong smell of ammonia and faeces. As the dogs were being removed from the cattle trailer, the situation became heated as John Lowther and a young boy tried to stop the dogs being removed and loaded into the transport that had arrived."
Vet Helen Gould stated in her report: “It is my opinion that this pup died due to a high worm burden with subsequent intestinal damage and secondary bacterial infection.”
She added that the other puppies, who were around six weeks old, all had "a massive worm burden and lice". Their mother also needed treatment for lice and worms. RSPCA vet Roxane Kirton concluded the dogs were housed in accommodation that failed to meet their needs.
The court heard that John Lowther had suffered from poor mental health which became impacted after the death of a relative. Magistrates said there was evidence of “extreme suffering and prolonged neglect” and handed Lowther a 12-week prison sentence suspended for two years.
They also told him to observe an eight-week curfew and pay costs and a victim surcharge totalling £213. The dogs have since been rehomed.
As the dogs did not live with Marina Lowther, the magistrates accepted she only had care of them for a short period of time. Marina was given a 12-month community sentence, including abiding by a six-week curfew, and she will have to pay combined costs and a victim surcharge of £160.
RSPCA Inspector Will Lamping said after the court hearing: "It was an upsetting scene that we were confronted with as the puppies were in a really sorry state riddled with worms and parasites.
"Unfortunately, we have seen a huge increase in people breeding puppies to sell and unscrupulous dealers breed them in poor condition with no thought for their health and wellbeing.
"While we’d always encourage people to rescue a dog we know that lots of families want to take on a puppy and to help them ensure they find a responsible breeder who prioritises the health and welfare of the dogs we believe it is incredibly important that they use a Puppy Contract from the RSPCA website."
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