A woman who abandoned 35 starving puppies in a dilapidated caravan has been banned from keeping pets indefinitely.
Police were alerted to the vehicle on an industrial estate in Lister Road, Eastbourne, on 26 July 2021 by a member of public who was concerned for the animals’ welfare.
Officers attended along with RSPCA inspectors. Upon forcing entry to the caravan, they discovered a mix of Labradors, Dachshunds and French Bulldogs living in a state of squalor.
Investigating officer, PC Marie Jenner, of the Sussex Police Rural Crime Team, explained: “The whole floor was covered in faeces and urine soaked cardboard.
“There were exposed wires, nails and screws, and broken pieces of wood and tools throughout. The conditions were completely uninhabitable.
“The dogs were retrieved from the caravan and placed in makeshift pens where we provided them with bowls of water. They were drinking uncontrollably, which gave an indicate of their desperation to rehydrate.
“A vet arrived on scene and explained that the dogs were suffering – and would continue to suffer if left in these conditions – and therefore they were seized under the Animal Welfare Act.”
The puppies were taken for assessment by the RSPCA and 14 of them were subsequently admitted for hospitalisation.
One of the puppies, a Dachshund, sadly died. A post mortem concluded the cause of death was starvation and dehydration.
CCTV enquiries revealed the caravan had been towed to the location at approximately 3am that morning by a 4×4 vehicle. Checks were conducted which showed the registered owner was Micaela Anderson-Letts, 35, of The Rowans, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex.
She was arrested and charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, contrary to section (4)(1) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Specifically, between 24 and 26 July 2021, she caused unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, namely a dog and puppies by a failure to act, namely, failing to transport the dog and puppies in a satisfactory manner and failing to provide medical treatment she knew or ought reasonably to have known that the failure would have that effect or be likely to do so.
Anderson-Letts pleaded guilty to the offence at an earlier hearing and appeared for sentencing at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday 7 January.
She was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 24 months. She was also given an animal banning order which lasts until further notice, and ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.
PC Jenner added: “This has been an ongoing complex case by the Sussex Police Rural Crime Team, working with partnership agencies, local authorities and other police forces.
“It transpired that Anderson-Letts had previously been issued an animal banning order and showed complete disregard to the judicial system by continuing to involve herself with puppies. After lots of hard work and dedication over the past three years, I am happy that this case has finally come to a conclusion.
“I would like to thank all staff and officers involved, the RSPCA inspectors, vets, and vital witnesses who supported this investigation along with members of the public who assisted in the rescue of these innocent puppies. After the appropriate veterinary treatment and care the dogs were re-homed to loving families.”
