Pet Owner Jailed After Decomposing Cats And Dogs Found In Her Home

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

A woman has been jailed after the bodies of several dead and decomposing pets were found at her home.

Tracey Tindall, 46, was sentenced to 18 weeks for 20 offences, in what prosecutors described as one of the “most serious” cases of animal neglect they had ever encountered.

Charges related to three dogs, five cats and a bearded dragon, which were found at Tindall’s home in November 2015.

Heart-breaking: The decomposing puppies had been kept in cages to stop them “wrecking the place” (SWNS)

RSPCA officers found faeces-smeared windows and decomposing bodies of various pets both inside the filthy property and in the garden.

A “significant number” of the animals found had died and were decomposing - while the neglect of the surviving animals led them to be in a “poor state”, Bradford Magistrates Court, West Yorkshire, heard.

Prosecuting for the RSPCA, Andrew Davidson explained that officers had attended Tindall’s home, where inspectors found two decomposing rabbits in an outdoor hutch, and the body of a large Mastiff dog chained to a kennel by its neck.

Guilty: Tracey Tindall said she had been drinking heavily and was in a depressive state while looking after her sick mother (SWNS)

The court heard that the inspectors were then met by Tindall walking across the road; she explained she had been living with her mother, who suffered from dementia, and had been attending her property with the animals in regularly.

The inspectors then entered the property with Tindall and found there was faeces and rubbish “everywhere", and no food, water or bedding for the animals.

The inspectors recovered a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and a Collie that were both in very poor bodily conditions with sunken stomachs.

Grim: The body of a black cat was found in the filthy dining room (SWNS)

Mr Davidson said: “When they went into the dining room, under the table was the body of a black cat which appeared to have recently died.

“In a cage they found a bearded dragon which appeared to be lifeless and had no light or water.

"In the dining area, the inspectors saw four puppy training crates. The right hand crate had the decomposing bodies of two puppies.

"Miss Tindall said the puppies had been in the crates for a couple of weeks to stop they chewing or wrecking the place. In the left hand crate there was the carcass of an adult Collie.”

Tindall gave permission for the surviving animals to be taken away which included four cats in a poor condition who were taken for treatment. Two of them had to be put to sleep.

Malnourished: The rescued pets were found to be underweight after being found without food or water (SWNS)

Tindall confirmed she had been solely responsible for the animals and that they hadn’t been looked after as “she would have liked”.

Mr Davidson said: “These animals suffered for a long time because of the deprivation of food and the conditions they were kept in. There were far too many animals to be looked after in a property of this size.”

The court also heard how Tindall had since acquired a further two cats and five kittens since being charged with neglect late last year.

At the vets: A Staffordshire Bull Terrier was described as having suffered “chronic malnutrition” and was a 1.5 out of 5 on the body condition score (SWNS)

Mitigating, Sara Lyle, agreed that the case as “horrendous” and “appalling” but said her client regretted what had happened and had got herself into a situation she didn’t know how to deal with.

As Tindall sobbed in the court, Ms Lyle said Tindall admitted she was drinking heavily and that it was quite clear she had suffered from a breakdown and was in a depressive state as a result of looking after her mother, who sadly passed away two days after the RSPCA found her animals.

House of Horrors: Tracey Tindall’s home was covered in faeces and animal corpses (SWNS)

Ms Lyle added: “"There is not a word to describe how remorseful Miss Tindall feels.”

However, the bench gave Tindall an 18 week custodial sentence as a result of the prolonged neglect that magistrates chair Beryl Eakin described as “very harrowing”.

Tindall, who pleaded guilty to 11 charges of failing to meet animal needs and nine of causing unnecessary suffering, was also disqualified from keeping animals for 20 years and an order was made to seize the two cats and five kittens still in her possession.

She was also ordered to pay £300 costs and a £80 surcharge.