Somerset woman banned from owning dogs after neglect

A woman has been banned from owning dogs for a decade after 16 neglected dogs were found in her possession.

Judy Doolan, 64, of Brent Knoll in Somerset, received the ban and was fined £600 following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA.

Her property, filled with "large amounts of faeces", was left unattended for days with the animals inside.

Of the 16 dogs seized by police, nine were put down because of the severity of their condition.

Ms Doolan appeared before Bristol Crown Court on 23 February, after pleading guilty to two animal welfare offences in October 2023.

The court heard how, in March 2023, RSPCA Inspector Hayley Lawrence attended Ms Doolan's home following concerns over mistreated dogs at the address.

Looking through the front door letter box, she could see the property was very dirty inside with large amounts of faeces covering the floor and windows, which she said "looked and smelled horrendous".

Police located Ms Doolan at a caravan site and returned her to the address, where she brought the dogs out individually for them to be checked and recorded.

Upon examination, some of the dogs were emaciated and had rotten teeth, dirty and smelly coats, and overgrown nails. Many of the dogs were found to have severe matting.

A number were also found to be extremely aggressive and unsafe to handle, due to fear and lack of socialisation.

In mitigation, it was said Ms Doolan had rescued dogs from Romania and had "got out of her depth", whilst also struggling with personal difficulties.

Ms Lawrence said: "Animals are completely reliant on their owners to ensure their needs are met and they are kept safe and healthy.

"Owning an animal is a privilege - and ensuring appropriate care is a key part of the responsibility we have towards them.

"Our plea to all animal owners is to make sure they always receive care and treatment they need when they need it," Ms Lawrence added.

The remaining seven dogs rescued from the property are now "thriving" under the care of the RSPCA.

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