A man has been jailed for 18 weeks after causing unnecessary suffering to 36 dogs who were rescued from filthy and smelly conditions at a property in Eastbourne.
Christopher Mark Bennett from Eastbourne, was sentenced at Hastings Magistrates’ Court on Monday August 22 after pleading guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to 36 dogs.
Gemma Brogan from Eastbourne, was previously sentenced in February after pleading guilty to similar charges. The court heard how RSPCA Inspector Cora Peeters visited the address in June 2021 along with police. She found several Yorkshire Terrier and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dogs who were skinny with matted fur and living in filthy and extremely smelly conditions.
She said: “The property smelt very strongly of faeces and urine even through the mask I was wearing. When we opened the door, the noise level trebled and was quite unbearable. We were greeted by a sea of little faces all standing on top of each other in desperation to get to the door. The room was poorly lit but I could still tell a large number of these dogs were extremely underweight, their coats looked crusty and dreadlocked and the smell of urine and faeces was awful in the stuffy and airless room.”
Inspector Peeters worked with her colleagues and the police to remove 36 dogs in total.
Inspector Peeters added: “The dogs, on the whole, were friendly but nervous and were barking excitedly. The smell was overpowering and the conditions were extremely poor and filthy with slippery floors and dirty walls splattered with muddy dog prints. I saw no evidence of food or water, just two filthy metal bowls against a mud encrusted wall.”
Sadly, a deceased dog was found lying in the middle of the kitchen floor. Most of the other dogs were loose but two were found inside a filthy crate without any bedding in the kitchen, and another two were found in a small bedroom which was noticeably cleaner than the rest of the house but these dogs also had no access to food or water.
The court heard how the vet report stated that all of the 36 dogs were suffering or were likely to suffer if left at the premises. On examination of the dogs, many of which were Yorkshire Terriers, King Charles Cavalier Spaniels, as well as Border Collie dogs, were shown to be skinny or even completely emaciated with one male Yorkshire Terrier weighing just 2.15 kgs. Others were suffering from overgrown claws, gingivitis, periodontal disease, alopecia, one male Yorkshire Terrier was suffering from a tumour to his testicle, and many of the dogs had matted coats soiled in faeces.
The vet report concluded: “It is my opinion that the majority of dogs suffered as a result of the conditions in which they were being kept. All those dogs with a condition score of 2 or less were, in my opinion, suffering as they were too thin. Dogs with a condition score of 3 were likely to suffer if left at the premises. The dogs with periodontal disease were also suffering as this condition causes pain and distress and can predispose heart and kidney disease. The period of suffering would vary for each dog but I would estimate it to be from four to 12 weeks.
Inspector Peeters said: “This was a sad case involving a large number of dogs who sadly had been neglected, left in their own filth, and left to suffer. The sheer noise and smell of the house alone was overwhelming but to then see the conditions the dogs were being kept in was really upsetting. I’m glad that we could rescue these dogs and they are now getting the care and love they deserve.”
Brogan was sentenced to an 18 week prison sentence, suspended for 24 months. She was also banned from keeping all animals for five years and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work as well as 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days. She was also ordered to pay costs of £418.80 and a £128 victim surcharge.
Bennett was sentenced to 18 weeks imprisonment and was disqualified from keeping all animals. No costs were ordered as he is now in custody.
The dogs, some of which were pregnant and had puppies, were taken into the care of the RSPCA in Brighton, Kent and Surrey and were rehabilitated before being re-homed.
