Burnley mum denies failing to look after animals properly (From This Is Lancashire)

Burnley mum denies failing to look after animals properly

7:44pm Friday 13th November 2009

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A WOMAN accused of 15 offences of failing to provide adequate environments and diets for 13 pets has described herself as a ‘carer for animals’ in court.

RSPCA officials had been alerted to the animals being kept off Lennox Street, Worsthorne, before finding two rabbits and a guinea pig dead, three cats caged in their own excrement and several dogs underweight with matted coats and skin disease.

An animal expert yesterday told Reedley Magistrates court that there was no way the RSPCA could prove Linda Winter, 40, of Wycoller Avenue, Brunshaw, Burnley, had caused suffering to the 13 animals in her care.

Madeline Forsythe, an expert in animal science, ethics and law, said: “The blood tests for each dog came back normal and showed that no dehydration had occurred.

“The infection in one of the Sharpeis (one of the dogs) was being treated.

“In terms of the post mortem for the rabbits and the Guinea pig, they came back with more questions than answers so there is not a lot we can determine.”

Winter, a mother-of-five, denies all charges.

She told the court: “My car had been impounded which prevented me from attending the animals on a daily basis.

“My daughter Rebecca Taylor, who was 16-years-old at the time, took over the daily duties with a family friend but had not carried out the jobs to the best standard.

“I have general responsibility for the animals but I did not know the extent of the bad conditions until watching the RSPCA footage.

“If I had been up there, I would have cleaned it up and treated any illnesses, but I did not know.”

Winter claimed that she also had no knowledge of a Rottweiler puppy and a small Border terrier found in her caravan when the RSPCA visited the site in January, and believed it to be a malicious incident carried out by an ex-partner.

She went on to claim that two Sharpeis dogs were not hers and she was keeping them in a stable until the owners collected them.

Christine Henson, prosecuting for the RSPCA, accused Winter of, “trying to make a quick buck from selling the dogs whilst providing woefully inadequate care for the animals under her responsibility”.

Magistrates adjourned the case until December 22 when a verdict will be announced.

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