(Image: RSPCA Cymru)
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A woman from Pontypool has been banned from keeping cats for five years after seven animals were discovered living in squalid conditions inside a shed at her property.
Danielle Crystin Jenkins, 34, of Lynton Court, Abersychan, Pontypool, admitted an animal welfare offence following an RSPCA investigation into the neglect.
The discovery
Officers from the RSPCA visited the property on February 26 last year after police shared photographic and video evidence of the conditions. Inside a shed at the address, they found five ragdoll-type cats and two black and white cats in what was described as foul-smelling and unsanitary surroundings.
An animal rescue officer told Newport Magistrates’ Court the shed was coated in faeces and urine, with only a small amount of water available for the animals.
Veterinary care
All seven cats were seized and taken for treatment. One required dental surgery as a result of gum disease, while another was found with matted fur. The remaining five were not found to have significant health issues.
Defence
The court heard Jenkins had been in prison at the time of the visit but later said she had asked relatives to look after the cats in her absence.
Sentencing
Magistrates described the environment as “terrible conditions which posed a risk to the health of the cats”.
Alongside the five-year ban on keeping cats, Jenkins was given a 12-month community order requiring her to carry out unpaid work and rehabilitation activity. She was also ordered to pay court costs and a victim surcharge.
All seven cats have since been placed into the care of the RSPCA and will now be rehomed.
