Burnley mum-of-5 denies keeping animals in 'filthy state'

9:14am Friday 13th November 2009

By Peter Magill

A MOTHER-of-five left pet animals in freezing and filthy conditions in a series of stables and a caravan, a court was told.

Two rabbits and a guinea pig died; three cats were left to lay in their own excrement in a cage and several dogs were either underweight or had matted coats, Reedley magistrates heard.

Linda Winter, 40, of Wycoller Avenue, Brunshaw, Burnley, denies 15 offences of either failing to provide either adequate environments and diets for 13 animals, or failing to prevent them from suffering pain or injury.

She has also pleaded not guilty to three more serious offences of failing to ensure the wellbeing of terriers, spaniel and Sharpeis.

RSPCA officials were alerted to the animals, which were being kept at a paddock off Lennox Street, Worsthorne, by police who came across the animals while looking in the area for a wanted man.

Vet Peter O'Hagen was called in to examine the animals and they were removed at the request of the charity.

RSPCA inspector Jason Bowles and Mr O'Hagen also made a video of the caravan and stables noting that, at the time, New Year's Day, the temperature was zero degrees centigrade.

Mr Bowles told the court said there was a strong smell of urine in the dirty caravan and he could see no food or water left for a Rottweiler puppy and a small Border terrier he found inside.

He then moved to a stable block, where he found the dead rabbits and guinea pig, and a cage containing three cats, which had apparently been left with dry food but no water. The litter tray was full and the cats were sitting in their own filth.

The next stable inspected had three dogs, two Bedlington terriers and a small black spaniel, the court heard.

Mr Bowles said no water had been left for the dogs. The terriers' coats were matted and the spaniel's was 'dirty'.

Finally two Sharpei dogs, with bad skin conditions, were discovered in a third stable.

Winter, who advertises puppies for sale on the internet, was questioned by PC Mark Jenkinson when she arrived at the scene.

She was alleged to have told PC Jenkinson that the animals at the compound were hers and she was looking after them "because no-one else would".

Interviewed by PC Jenkinson and Mr Bowles later, Winter read from a prepared statement about the animals, giving a different account of their welfare.

She said she had no idea who owned the dogs found in the caravan, which was empty when it was left the previous night.

She would not comment about the rabbits and guinea pig until the results of a post-mortem examination were known.

Winter said the other animals had been left with sufficient bedding, food and water.

One of the Sharpeis did have an eye condition, she added, but she was treating the infection.