Bradford woman jailed over cruelty to three dogs, five cats and a bearded dragon

Tracey Tindall, 46, was jailed for 18 weeks for 20 offences relating to three dogs, five cats and one bearded dragon discovered by RSPCA officers at her property last November.

A “significant number” of the animals found had died and were decomposing - while the neglect of the surviving animals led them to be in a “poor state”, Bradford Magistrates Court heard.

Prosecuting for the RSPCA, Andrew Davidson said officers had attended Tindall’s home, where there was faeces on her windows and the path leading to her back garden and rubbish strewn throughout her home.

Mr Davidson said: “At the right hand side of the house, RSPCA Inspectors Evans and Weston found a two tier rabbit hutch.

“On the bottom tier were the bodies of two rabbits decomposing.

“They then went through a metal gate at the side of the house which led to the back garden. The path was covered in rubbish and faeces.

“In a kennel in the back garden was the body of a large Mastif dog that was chained to the kennel by its neck.

“It was also in a state of decomposition.

“The officers then looked through the dining room window and saw a ginger cat that was in a very poor condition.”

The inspectors recovered a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and a Collie that were both in very poor bodily conditions with sunken stomachs.

Mr Davidson said: “When the inspectors went into the living room, the floor was covered in faeces. There was no water present for the animals.

“When they went into the dining room, under the table was the body of a black cat which appeared to have recently died.

“In a cage they found a bearded dragon which appeared to be lifeless and had no light or water.

“In the dining area, the inspectors saw four puppy training crates. The right hand crate had the decomposing bodies of two puppies.

“Miss Tindall said the puppies had been in the crates for a couple of weeks to stop they chewing or wrecking the place.

“In the left hand crate there was the carcass of an adult Collie.”

Mr Davidson told the court this was long-term neglect of the most serious type.

He said: “These animals suffered for a long time because of the deprivation of food and the conditions they were kept in.

“There were far too many animals to be looked after in a property of this size.”

The court also heard Tindall had since acquired a further two cats and five kittens since being charged.

Mitigating, Sara Lyle, agreed that the case as “horrendous” and “appalling” but said her client regretted what had happened and had got herself into a situation she didn’t know how to deal with.

As Tindall sobbed in the court, Ms Lyle said Tindall admitted she was drinking heavily and that it was quite clear she had suffered from a breakdown and was in a depressive state as a result of looking after her mother, who had passed away two days The bench gave Tindall an 18 week custodial sentence as a result of the prolonged neglect that magistrates chair Beryl Eakin described as “very harrowing”.

Tindall, who pleaded guilty to 11 charges of failing to meet animal needs and nine of causing unnecessary suffering, was also disqualified from keeping animals for 20 years and an order was made to seize the two cats and five kittens still in her possession.

She was also ordered to pay £300 costs and a £80 surcharge.