Couple banned for life after 145 animals found living among faeces and flies

Nation.Cymru staff

A couple have been banned from keeping animals for life after more than 140 cats and guinea pigs were found living among faeces, flies and hazardous conditions at their home.

RSPCA officers found 114 guinea pigs and 31 cats at the property in Duffryn, Newport, after attending with vets and Gwent Police in May last year.

Helen Elizabeth Weston and Michael Bernard Weston, of Sir Charles Square, Duffryn, both pleaded guilty to five offences under the Animal Welfare Act.

They appeared at Newport Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, August 12, where they were each given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

Both were disqualified from keeping any animals for life and cannot apply to have the ban lifted for 10 years. They were also each ordered to pay £200 costs and a £154 victim surcharge.

The RSPCA had previously dealt with animal welfare concerns at the property and had offered help with rehoming and neutering, but said its offers had not been accepted and officers had not been allowed inside.

Chief Inspector Emma Smith said in a witness statement that officers were confronted by an “extremely overwhelming smell of ammonia” when they entered the house.

She said: “The property was extremely cluttered with household items strewn everywhere and there was dust, cobwebs, dirt, grime, live and dead flies all in abundance throughout the property.”

Cats were discovered in several rooms, some of which had no ventilation and contained dirty litter trays and bedding.

Some of the animals were displaying flu-like symptoms or respiratory problems, while officers reported finding old, mouldy cat faeces in one bedroom.

But it was when rescuers entered the ground-floor living room that they discovered more than 100 guinea pigs.

Chief Inspector Smith said: “This room contained an uncountable amount of guinea pigs and was nothing like I had ever seen before.

“There were in excess of 100 guinea pigs, multiple running loose and others confined to cat baskets or small indoor guinea pig enclosures, multiple of which were stacked on top of each other or had fallen to an angle.

“The environment was the worst I have seen, with ground down faeces so thick and hard that it had produced a ‘mud carpet’ throughout the living room.”

Insects

She said furniture had rotted, leaving holes which guinea pigs were running through among exposed springs and wood.

Some drinking bottles were empty and several enclosures were overcrowded or damaged.

Chief Inspector Smith said the room was also swarming with insects and the smell of animal excrement was “overwhelming”.

It took a vet, veterinary nurse and several RSPCA officers hours to locate and confine all the guinea pigs.

Rehomed

The 114 guinea pigs and 31 cats were taken into possession by police and placed in the care of the RSPCA.

Five guinea pigs were later put to sleep on welfare grounds and another died. Six cats were also put to sleep because of ongoing health problems, while a cat called Mogs was put to sleep on veterinary advice.

The court heard in mitigation that Mr Weston had health conditions and Mrs Weston had become his carer after he became unwell. The couple had initially owned a small number of guinea pigs, but the animals bred and the situation got on top of them.

The surviving animals were treated before being moved to RSPCA centres and private boarding facilities and have since been rehomed. Many of the guinea pigs were pregnant when they were rescued.

Following sentencing, Chief Inspector Smith said: “All animals deserve to be treated with kindness and should have their needs met. Owners are responsible for their pets’ needs and must seek help if things get out of hand.

“Unfortunately we are seeing more multi-animal cases in general and we urge anyone who is struggling to seek help.

“These animals have now been happily rehomed.”

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