Written by Lisa Edser, Daily Mail Australia
04:41 February 20, 2024, 04:44 Updated February 20, 2024
Two women have been sentenced after more than 100 small dogs, cats, birds and kangaroos were found living in squalid conditions at a “house of horrors” puppy farm.
On November 3, 2020, the RSPCA seized 100 small dogs, 11 kangaroos and 11 cats after raiding a home in South Australia's central north region.
The two women, both in their 60s, were registered dog breeders and lived on the property without electricity.
Two dogs and a bird were unwell and had to be put to sleep.
The women pleaded guilty to 11 charges of animal cruelty in Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Many of the animals required extensive veterinary treatment, including surgery and amputations.
The animals were found in cupboards and folded cages.
The feces had been left there for a long time, so it had hardened on the floor along with dirt and hair.
One kangaroo had a broken leg, and there were also ducklings, a wattlebird and an injured magpie.
Other animals had ear infections and many had severe dental problems, with one requiring part of its jaw to be removed.
One of the dogs euthanized was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Winston, who was missing one eye and had cancer in the other.
Eighty of the animals were seized and the RSPCA issued welfare notices for the remaining animals.
The 77 animals that were not captured were taken to the RSPCA's Lonsdale shelter for veterinary examination.
The dogs on the squalid property included popular small breeds such as Maltese, miniature poodles, silky terriers, Chihuahuas, Shih Tzus, Pomeranians, Papillons and King Charles Cavalier Spaniels.
RSPCA South Australia Chief Inspector Andrew Baker said in a statement that the site was a “house of horror” and one of the most “extreme animal hoarding incidents” the RSPCA had ever seen. Stated.
“These defendants are registered breeders and have previously supplied puppies to pet shops,” he said.
“Imagine how you would feel if you bought one of these puppies and then found out the conditions in which they were bred and raised.”
RSPCA officers returned to the scene on November 10, 2020, but were faced with an even more harrowing scene, including a goat with a broken leg and a starving turtle.
The RSPCA took all the remaining animals, except for four dogs, citing the women's mental health.
All confiscated animals were then rehomed.
The RSPCA said its solicitor Simon Perry said the offenses were serious enough to warrant a prison sentence.
However, Mr Perry believed the prison sentences should be suspended given the women's age and lack of criminal history.
Judge Edward Stratton-Smith agreed and sentenced them to six months in prison, which could be reduced to three months and 18 days if the women pleaded guilty.
The sentence was suspended for two years with a $500 good behavior bond.
The women were ordered to pay $2,000 in veterinary costs, leaving the RSPCA with a total cost of $46,000.
