Woman sentenced after failing to provide food and water to ‘mummified’ dogs

Please be aware there are graphic and distressing pictures included below

A Newport woman has been disqualified from keeping animals for life and handed a suspended sentence after failing to provide food and water to three dogs – who were found dead in their kennels.

Jamila Michaela Diane Fletcher Oates, of Dart Road, Bettws, appeared at Newport Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 24 February. She had previously pleaded guilty to one offence under the Animal Welfare Act.

The offence was that she caused unnecessary suffering to three dogs – a blue French bulldog called Precious, a tri-colour French bulldog called Destiny and a tri-colour French bulldog called Diamond – by failing to provide any food or any water for a period of time.

At sentencing, as well as the life ban on keeping animals she was handed a 20 weeks jail term which was suspended 12 months and was ordered to pay £700 costs and a £154 victim surcharge.

In a statement provided to the court by RSPCA Inspector Simon Evans, he said that it was on 16 July of last year when he attended a Bettws property and met the owner of the three dogs.

He was informed that the dogs had been dead for some months but she had not yet removed the bodies as she had been grieving following the death of her late wife. She confirmed to him that none of the dogs had received any vet treatment prior to their deaths.

Inspector Evans said: “At the bottom of the garden, largely secluded from the rest of the house, were two purpose built, steel runs, with solid roofs. Mrs Fletcher-Oates returned to the house, informing me that she could not bear to see the dogs’ bodies.

“Outside the first kennel was a black bag in which, I had been informed, was the body of the dog Precious. In the second kennel, immediately next to the first, was a small travel cage which contained the desiccated bodies of two further dogs, both French Bulldogs, with the furthest dog being slightly smaller than the nearer one. Both dogs had decomposed and were stuck to a blanket that lined the cage.

“I then opened up the bag containing the body of the dog Precious which lay outside the first run. There were, in fact, three bags all inside each other and which contained the body of the dog. The body was again desiccated and all of the hips and ribs were clearly visible. The dog’s coat was sloughing off as I handled it and I noted maggots and fly egg cases over the body.”

The bodies were removed and all three carcasses were examined by a vet who said all were presented as “mummified”.

The vet said Destiny and Diamond would have died from dehydration and Precious who “must have had some water available to it for at least part of the time” suspects that she also suffered during the period which caused some organ failure that led to her death shortly afterwards.

During an interview with Inspector Evans, Mrs Fletcher-Oates confirmed that her wife had passed away in February 2024 and had struggled following this.

In this interview she admitted that during April there was a period of six days when she failed to attend to her dogs’ needs and they went without both food and water.

At the end of this period of time, Mrs Fletcher-Oates found both Destiny and Diamond dead in their cage. She said that she fed and watered Precious but then she also died within a two to three week period.

All three dogs had been left where they lay up until approximately two to three days before Inspector Evans’ arrival on 16 July. He was told that it was only then that Mrs Fletcher-Oates had been able to face moving at least one of the dogs and had succeeded in bagging the body of Precious. In the interview she also expressed remorse for her actions and said there had been no excuse.

Following sentencing, Inspector Evans said: “This is a heartbreaking case on many levels. Ultimately three dogs suffered and died after their owner failed to care for them and give them their basic needs. We would urge anyone struggling to seek help.”