A family from Sheffield have been banned from keeping animals after RSPCA officers rescued 22 animals which were neglected in ‘horrendous conditions’ inside the filthy South Yorkshire home.
They pleaded guilty to failing to meet the needs of 18 animals as well as causing unnecessary suffering to five dogs and one cat, including a Labrador called Prince who was discovered chained to a broken sofa. He was suffering from dermatitis and significant fur loss around the neck from the choke chain he was wearing, as well as a shock collar.
They were also sentenced for causing unnecessary suffering to a black and white cat called Spot with severe skin disease, a Yorkshire Terrier called Teddy with dental disease, a Shih Tzu called Finn with ear and dental disease, and a a male Shih Tzu type dog called Groot with chronic dermatitis which according to a vet report he would have been suffering from for at least eight weeks but had received no veterinary treatment; as well as a Chihuahua called Jem with dental disease, eye ulceration, osteoarthritis and a severe heart murmur who sadly had to be put to sleep to end his suffering.
Inspector Jack Taylor, who investigated, said: “This was a very sad case involving a large number of animals who were being kept in wholly unsuitable, filthy conditions. I saw a Labrador called Prince who was chained to a broken sofa, cats kept in cages full of faeces, and many of the animals had overgrown claws, were caked in dirt and faeces from walking around the squalid house and many had dental issues. All the animals I saw had a large flea infestation and many had fur loss from scratching at their fur.”
Inspector Taylor, along with his colleagues and the police, attended the property in September 2023 to rescue the animals. This followed visits from the RSPCA during the previous year when the charity had attempted to give the family advice on how to care for their animals properly, including giving them a warning notice.
Speaking of entering the property for the final time, Inspector Taylor added: “There was a strong smell of faeces and urine coming from inside the house. The living room was in a worse condition than before and the air was difficult to breathe in from the smell of ammonia. Dogs were running, barking, yapping jumping around, and fighting with one another. My colleague Inspector Booth looked underneath a dirty sheet over the sofa and saw two crates full of faeces with heavily soiled towels and a dirty plastic dish. The cages were not big enough to house a cat in for any length of time. The cats were not in there currently but Linda Robinson said the cats were put in the cages overnight to protect them from the dogs.
“The whole of the downstairs property was squalid and horrendous. Every surface was covered in urine and faeces. The floor was so thickly covered it had created what looked like some kind of brown floor covering but it was trodden down faeces. There was an overpowering smell of ammonia that stung my eyes and made it difficult to be inside the property for any length of time as it was very unpleasant to breathe inside the house.”
In total, 22 animals were removed by police including 13 dogs, five cats, two rats, a snake and a hamster. Sadly, a vet concluded that the white hamster named Timmy and dogs Gizmo and Jem had to be put to sleep to end their suffering. Gizmo, a small tan terrier dog was seen coughing when the officers visited the property and later had to be put to sleep due to his severe breathing issues. The rest of the animals were signed over and rehomed by the RSPCA.
In mitigation, the court heard that the Robinsons had entered an early guilty plea. The court also heard that the family had been affected by financial difficulties at the time of offending. Dean and Joanna’s mother had passed away leaving the family with thousands to pay in funeral bills and Linda Robinson had a deteriorating health condition but there were no benefits paid to reflect this condition. Only Joanna was working and had an income which wasn’t enough to support the family and the pets so hard choices were made about veterinary care. The court heard that the animals were part of the family unit so they were reluctant to explore other options.
The mitigation further explained that Joanna now struggles to sleep because of her sense of guilt and Dean is a full-time carer for Linda who has a serious health issue which includes loss of sight.
In sentencing remarks, the Lay Justices said: “These were horrendous conditions where animals did suffer in our view.”
Linda Robinson was sentenced to 20 weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years (for each of the section 4 offences), and is required to undertake up to 10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days. Dean and Joanna Robinson were sentenced to 20 weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years (for each of the section 4 offences), with a requirement to undertake up to 10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days as well as 100 hours of unpaid work. They were each ordered to pay costs of £400 and a £154 victim surcharge. They were also disqualified from keeping all animals indefinitely and cannot appeal this for at least five years.
