Kelly Hedger: Rottweiler 'put to sleep' after dogs including Labrador, Dachshund saved from 'horrendous' house

The dogs - two Labradors, a Rottweiler and a Dachshund - were living in a property on Fretwell Close in Maltby, Rotherham amongst broken glass, faeces and rubbish with hundreds of empty bottles of alcohol found in the garden.

The animals - including two horses which had been left unattended in a field with no food or water for six days - were rescued by the RSPCA and police after their owner, 35-year-old Kelly Hedger, had repeatedly ignored warnings to improve the living conditions of the animals.

RSPCA inspector Vanessa Reid carried out a raid with police to rescue in animals on November 9, 2021. In written evidence before Sheffield Magistrates Court, she said: “As you entered the kitchen there was a very strong smell of ammonia and faeces which hit you instantly. There were several completely empty bowls on the floor, and lots of rubbish and belongings and faeces.

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“As the dogs were secure in this room, I continued past and up the stairs to check the conditions upstairs. There were four bedrooms, all of which were covered in belongings, rubbish and faeces. There were old faeces which had turned green and mouldy, alongside more fresh ones, so it was clear the dogs had been living like this for some time. 

“At the entrance to the bathroom were multiple piles of faeces which contained lots of what appeared to be seeds, this suggested the dogs had possibly been eating bird food. There were no bowls of water present in any of the rooms. As we untied the doors to the living room the horrendous smell became even stronger, almost overpowering. My eyes began to water and my nose was burning, the smell was so putrid.”

It is said the only liquid in the house was a half full mop bucket containing filthy brown water. There was no pet food or packaging in the dustbins. Drugs equipment which posed a risk to the dogs was also found lying around the house.

Hedger denied four animal welfare offences, but was found guilty of three offences at a trial in her absense at Sheffield Magistrates Court in September 2023.

After being seized, the dogs were immediately seen by vets. Dinky the Dachshund was found to have an untreated inguinal hernia, while Alfie the Labrador had been left with a large untreated mass on his chest and Buddy, the other Labrador, had multiple scars from fighting which looked to have happened on more than one occasion.

Both Alfie and Buster the Rottweiler were given body condition scores of 1/9 and described as emaciated.

“All four dogs were suffering from starvation and poor nutrition - this is something the owner would have known would be a consequence from not feeding them or providing them with fresh water. To continue the way they are kept is totally unacceptable,” said the vet in her written evidence.

The RSPCA was also told that Hedger kept two horses in a field in Brookhouse Lane in Laughton en le Morthen. When the charity visited the location they found a dark bay gelding and a dun-coloured Shetland type pony with little grazing, buckets of dirty water and no supplementary hay, food or shelter.

Both horses were monitored by the RSPCA for six days but it became clear that Hedger had not returned at all during that time and they were subsequently seized by the police and placed into the care of the charity.

At her sentencing hearing on June 10, 2024, Hedger was banned from keeping animals for 12 months and sentenced to an 18-month community order.

During the sentencing remarks, District Judge Tim Spruce said the dogs were in ‘very poor condition over a period of time as a result of intermittent starvation’ but noted her ‘physical and mental health concerns’ and said she needed input from probation services and not a custodial sentence.

In mitigation, Hedger said other people had taken over her property at the time of the offences and Buster belonged to them.

Buster and Dinky were signed over to the RSPCA during the course of the investigation. Hedger denied owning the Dachshund and so the charity was able to rehome him after he had recovered. Unfortunately, Buster was unable to be rehabilitated and, after dedicated care, the sad decision was made to put him to sleep.

Speaking after sentencing Inspector Reid said: "I’m pleased that after three and a half years, this long case has finally concluded. It’s ended a long period of uncertainty for Buddy and Alfie in particular, whom we have legally been unable to rehome until now.

“The dogs had been starved and were living in squalor without food or water, yet Hedger denied repeated warnings to improve their situation. The horses were also not receiving anywhere near the appropriate level of care and attention, so we’re pleased these animals also now have the chance of leading much happier lives.”      

Following the case, Buddy, Dinky and the two horses have found new homes. However, Labrador Alfie, now 13-years-old, is still looking.