A man has been banned from keeping animals for life after hoarding more than 35 pets in his filthy home and causing unnecessary suffering.
RSPCA inspectors said they were met with an "overpowering stench of faeces and urine" when they entered the home of 39-year-old Alan Peckenham while he was in hospital.
Among the filthy, unhygienic conditions were 20 cats, three kittens, four dogs, three ferrets and snakes.
A vet who examined the scene said it would have taken two full-time animal workers with help from volunteers to look after the number of animals, Liverpool Echo reports.
Two kittens died while being treated by vets and officers found four out of five snakes were in a decomposed state.
When RSPCA inspectors Lisa Lupson, Anthony Joynes and Nadine Pengilly entered the property in Lower Hey, Thornton, Liverpool on August 31, 2021, they discovered two female cats, one severely underweight, in the bathroom, along with three kittens inside an open drawer who were infested with fleas and in need of immediate medical attention.
A court heard two of three German Shepherd dogs, being kept with a crossbreed dog, had also been left muzzled.
There were also three ferrets left in a filthy rabbit hutch in a conservatory and the inspectors found the carcasses of four snakes left to rot in a bedroom.
The hoarder was sentenced at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on April 14 after pleading guilty to four offences of causing unnecessary suffering to animals and one of failing to take steps to ensure the needs of the animals were met.
In a witness statement, Inspector Lupson said: "There seemed to be faeces and rubbish on every available surface.
"None of the vivaria were switched on, but I was shocked to see what appeared to be very decomposed snake carcasses inside some of them. Some were very difficult to make out due to their extreme level of decomposition and one black snake appeared to be coiled around a log and to have just died in this position."
Inspector Pengilly said in her statement: "The kittens were crawling with fleas and appeared weak and lethargic. I had to check that they were not dead. There was no litter tray in the bathroom so the cats had been pooing and weeing in the bath.”
Magistrates sentenced Peckenham to a 16-week prison term suspended for 12 months. They also ordered him to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £500 court costs and a victim surcharge of £95. He was also banned for life from owning animals.
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