RSPCA find seven malnourished dogs kept in filthy cages in Sheffield woman's mud strewn home
A woman who kept seven dogs in filthy cages at a squalid property in Sheffield has been banned from keeping animals for four years.
The dogs - which included English bull terriers, French bulldogs, Lhasa Poos and a pug - were found living in mud and faeces at the house in Deerlands Avenue, Parson Cross, before being rescued by RSPCA officers.
Nicola Newton-Smith, aged 33, was handed the ban at a sentencing hearing at Sheffield Crown Court on February 7 after previously admitting three Animal Welfare Act offences following a prosecution brought by the RSPCA.
The court heard how inspectors Leanne Booth and Jack Taylor went to the property in September 2023 after being alerted to the dogs’ living conditions.
In her written statement to the court Inspector Booth said: “I could hear what sounded like cage doors opening and closing and then air freshener being sprayed. The kitchen of the property was squalid, with mud and faeces all over the floor.
“The lounge of the property was cluttered with furniture and household items along with four dog training cages. The area around the cages was filthy, with faeces trodden into the carpet and large areas of what appeared to be urine stains.
“The cages looked filthy but each had one, new unused puppy training pad placed inside. It was obvious they had just been put there and had not been used by the dogs as they were covered in mud and faeces and the pads were clean.”
The court was told that when the pads were lifted out, crumbling, dried up faeces could be seen underneath, along with fresh waste and urine. Only one cage had a bed and an overturned dish, but the others were barren. Another training cage in a similar condition to the ones in the lounge was also seen in a cluttered bedroom.
All of the dogs were seized by the police - who were also at the address on an unrelated matter - and taken to a veterinary practice to be examined.
Six out of the seven dogs had untreated eye and ear infections, the court was told.
The female Lhasa Poo had matted fur on the chest and legs and weighed just 2.7kg, which a vet said meant she would have been deprived of sufficient food “for at least a number of weeks.”
In mitigation, the district judge was told that Newton-Smith was “emotionally very attached” to the dogs and was not someone who had set out to harm them. She had poor mental health and was the sole carer for her partner.
As a result, matters had “got on top of her” and was unable to cope, but couldn’t or wouldn’t ask for help. When there were fewer dogs in the house it was said she had been able to manage and things only went wrong when more dogs arrived at the house from well-meaning people, said her solicitor.
Newton-Smith was given a 12 month community order with up to 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement Days. She was told to pay court costs of £126 and a £114 surcharge.
The dogs were all signed over to the RSPCA during the course of the investigation. The charity says they all made a good recovery in the care of the charity’s Doncaster and Rotherham Branch and have since been rehomed.
Speaking after the sentencing hearing, Inspector Booth said: "Conditions at the property were unacceptable and not appropriate for humans or animals alike. The dogs’ most basic needs were not being met and they were spending their lives in dirty cages with no stimulation and nowhere dry or comfortable to rest. The team at our Doncaster and Rotherham Branch did a fantastic job to rehabilitate and find them loving new homes.”