Woman banned for 10 years from keeping animals after abandoning two dogs and cat in filthy Wednesbury flat
A woman has been banned from keeping animals for a decade, after admitting abandoning her two dogs and cat in a flat filled with urine and faeces.
Hayley Whitehouse pleaded guilty at Birmingham Magistrates Court to three offences under the Animal Welfare Act following a prosecution brought by the RSPCA.
The court heard how RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Baljit Dhamia had first attended the property in Wednesbury on May 7 2024, following reports two dogs had been left alone inside.
There was no answer when he knocked, but he said he was drawn to a strong smell of ammonia and faeces and could hear two large dogs barking.
He left a warning notice and placed tape seals on the door, as part of the animal welfare charity’s 24-hour abandonment procedure, and two days later Animal Rescue Officer Ashley Moore attended for a follow-up.
The tape seals remained intact and the dogs could still be heard barking, so on May 10, officers returned alongside West Midlands Police and entered the property.
In a statement to the court, Mr Moore said: “We were met by a very strong smell of urine and faeces, the property was in a severe state of disrepair and there was no food or water available to the dogs.”
Two female bull-breed dogs and a severely underweight female cat, also belonging to Whitehouse, were taken into RSPCA care and transported to RSPCA Birmingham Animal Hospital.
A vet who examined the pets found that all three were underweight, and in a statement to the court said they had been kept in an unsuitable environment without adequate food, water or appropriate care.
At Birmingham Magistrates Court on March 6, Whitehouse, 29, of Wolverhampton Street in Wednesbury, was handed a 12-month community order, including 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days, alongside a 10-year ban on keeping all animals and was also ordered to pay £50 in costs.
In mitigation, the court heard that Whitehouse had been through a difficult time, experiencing domestic abuse and mental health issues, and she expressed remorse for her actions.
All three animals have now been rehomed.
Speaking after the sentencing, RSPCA Inspector Vicki Taylor said: “Animals rely entirely on their owners to provide them with food, water, shelter and care. In this case these basic needs were simply not being met.
“The conditions inside the property were extremely unpleasant, and the poor dogs and cat had been left without any food or water and no animal should ever be left living in an environment like that.
“There is help available. Nobody should wait until an animal is in crisis and people struggling can speak to their vet, or a local charity. There’s also loads of advice on the RSPCA website.”
