Carole Brooks, 47, of St Nicholas Street, Radford, Coventry, appeared before Birmingham Magistrates’ court on October 13 for sentencing of the animal cruelty offences and also for assaulting an RSPCA inspector.
Brooks had pleaded guilty to four offences of failing to meet the welfare needs of dogs in her care and one of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog by failing to provide appropriate veterinary care to ulcers on his lips and pressure sores to his left hip.
She had also been found guilty of common assault against the investigating officer Louise Labram, following a CPS trial earlier this month.
She was sentenced for all the offences and given a 26 week prison sentence suspended for two years with a two year supervision order and the defendant must perform a specified activity order of 20 days called the “Springboard Programme”.
She was disqualified from keeping all animals for life and ordered to pay £1,500 costs, £80 victim surcharge and £200 compensation to Inspector Labram.
The court was told that inspector Labram had visited Brooks home in March this year following a complaint. When the officer arrived she found 15 dogs of varying ages all being kept in poor conditions in under-sized kennels some which were filthy and had no water, ventilation, bedding or lighting.
The officer also found dogs crammed into a child’s wendy house.
The defendant had also failed to maintain healthy coats for 14 of the dogs and had failed to regularly groom them.
Four dogs had contracted a respiratory infection and one dog known as Kakarot was collapsed and had ulcers on his lips and had ulcerated pressure sores on his left hip.
All the dogs were removed, but before the court hearings the RSPCA did approve of two supervised visits with Brooks so that she could see one of her dogs and take him for a walk.
But it was during the second visit in May this year that Brooks had assaulted the inspector and threw dog faeces at the officer’s face.
Brooks then kicked Inspector Labram in the stomach and yanked down on her pony tail, all while the officer was trying to keep hold of the dog.
Speaking after the case inspector Labram said: “The assault incident was horrid - as an inspector we are only trying to do what is best for the animals - it is not something we should expect to happen, but sadly it seems to happen more frequently.”
The court had heard that Brooks had suffered with mental health issues.
She had signed over five dogs to the RSPCA earlier this year and four had been rehomed although one sadly had to be put to sleep as it collapsed and had neurological problems.
The remaining dogs have now been signed over to the RSPCA by the courts and will rehomed. Many are currently being cared for the at the Coventry, Nuneaton and District Branch.
(The Coventry Observer - Oct 22, 2014)
Too bad the officer didn't have a taser.
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