Cardiff woman banned from keeping animals after neglect

A woman who left her dog and cat to starve in appalling conditions at her Cardiff home has been banned from keeping animals for three years.

RSPCA inspector Emma Smith found dachshund Woody and cat Ginge both in an emaciated state when she visited Chloe Britton’s property on separate occasions on January 14 and March 26 this year.

When the inspector visited in January, she found Woody and another dog, French bulldog Hugo, in a conservatory. While Hugo was in a “reasonable” body condition, Woody was extremely emaciated.

Inspector Smith said in a statement: “Every bone was visible, including the shape of his skull. He had no muscle or fat coverage and his fur was thinning on his head.”

She added: “While the dogs had access to a saucepan which contained some water there was no food present for them and there were puddles of urine and piles of faeces on the conservatory floor. The smell was overwhelming and my eyes and nose burnt from the volume of ammonia.”

Britton, 22, of Pethybridge Road, Cardiff, admitted she had not been at the property for two days and signed the dogs over into RSPCA care.

When Inspector Smith returned more than two months later, she found cat Ginge crying on the doorstep. “The cat was crying and I could see he had lost a lot of weight since I last saw him in January. He was alarmingly thin with his spine and pelvis bones easily visible through his coat. He seemed wobbly when he was walking,” she said.

A vet confirmed both Woody and Ginge were emaciated with a body condition score of one out of nine, when five is a normal healthy weight. The cat was ravenous when presented with food.

Britton pleaded guilty to three offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and appeared for sentencing at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on October 10.

In mitigation, the court heard Britton has learning difficulties and had suffered two strokes last year. She was said to be “fearful” of returning to the property due to concerns over domestic violence.

Britton was handed a 12-month community order requiring her to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days, fined £40, and ordered to pay £400 court costs and a £114 victim surcharge, as well as the three-year animal ban.

All three animals have since made good recoveries. Woody and Hugo have been rehomed to loving owners, and the RSPCA will now find a new home for Ginge.

Speaking after the sentencing, Inspector Smith said: “All three of these animals suffered as a result of the defendant’s lack of care. They were left in appalling living conditions without food but fortunately we were alerted to their plight and we were able to get them into our care in time. We are always grateful for the public’s vigilance which can alert us to cases like this where animals are suffering.”