Nelson man banned from keeping animals after RSPCA found dogs in 'cesspit' conditions
A Nelson man has been banned from keeping animals for life after three German Shepherd dogs were found living in what an RSPCA officer described as “the worst room I have ever seen” during an investigation at his home.
Charles Bruce (60) of Hendon Road, was sentenced at Burnley Magistrates' Court after admitting two offences under the Animal Welfare Act following an RSPCA prosecution.
The court heard that Bruce was handed a 26-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, disqualified from keeping animals indefinitely, ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £4,184 in costs along with a £154 victim surcharge.
The case followed an emergency warrant carried out by Lancashire Police on March 25 last year after welfare concerns were raised about dogs at the property.
When RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Adam Wormwell attended the address, he noticed a strong smell of decomposition. The source was traced to a padlocked garden shed, where the remains of a male German Shepherd were later discovered.
When officers entered the house later that day, they found three-year-old Bella collapsed on the floor of a dark kitchen. She was unresponsive and suffering seizures while lying in what officers described as a thick mixture of mud, urine and faeces.
Two other German Shepherds, Tyson and Duke, were also found in the kitchen. Both were severely underweight and covered in filth.
In a statement read to the court, RSPCA Deputy Chief Inspector Jess Pierce said the conditions inside the property were overwhelming.
She said the smell of ammonia and faeces made it difficult to breathe and described the kitchen as being in complete darkness, adding that the two younger dogs appeared “desperate to get out”.
Bella was rushed to a veterinary practice in Colne before being transferred to a 24-hour emergency hospital in Bury. Vets later had to perform CPR after her heart stopped, but she recovered after intensive treatment.
RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Lee Ferrans told the court the conditions were unlike anything he had encountered during almost three years in the role.
“It was difficult to even look into the room without feeling sick,” he said. “I can only describe it as a cesspit.”
Bruce told officers he had not been living at the property because there was no gas or electricity and claimed another person had been feeding the dogs. He accepted that the conditions were unacceptable and that the animals had suffered.
The court heard Bruce could not name all of the dogs and believed the deceased German Shepherd found in the shed had previously been rehomed.
Despite veterinary treatment, Duke's condition deteriorated and he was put to sleep to prevent further suffering.
Bella and Tyson, who was later renamed Monty, were rehabilitated by the RSPCA's Southport, Ormskirk and District Branch before being successfully rehomed earlier this year.
Speaking after sentencing, Deputy Chief Inspector Pierce said the case would stay with her throughout her career.
She said: “I honestly believed Bella was dying there and then. Thanks to the dedication of the veterinary teams and our rehabilitation staff, Bella and Monty have both been given a second chance and are now thriving in loving homes.”
In mitigation, the court heard Bruce had experienced difficult family circumstances and had been suffering from poor mental health.