Two women have been sentenced after more than 100 small dogs, cats, birds and kangaroos were discovered living in squalor in a ‘house of horrors’ puppy farm.
The RSPCA raided the home in South Australia’s Mid North region before seizing 100 small dogs, 11 kangaroos and 11 cats on November 3, 2020.
Two women, in their 60s, were both registered dog breeders and lived on the property without electricity.
Two dogs and a bird had to be put to sleep due to their poor condition.
The women pleaded guilty to 11 charges of animal cruelty at the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Many of the dogs found in the ‘house of horrors’ were unwell (pictured), and dental problems and ear infections were common. Many dogs had to undergo surgery, and some had to undergo amputations
The dogs were neglected for years (photo). The women in their 60s, who avoided prison, lived in the filthy house with the animals. Worryingly, they were registered dog breeders
Many of the animals required extensive veterinary treatment, including surgeries and amputations.
Animals were found in kitchen cupboards and in cages stacked on top of each other.
The feces had been there so long that it had hardened on the floor along with dirt and hair.
One of the kangaroos had a broken leg and there were also ducks, a wattled bird and an injured magpie.
Other animals had ear infections and many had serious dental problems requiring the removal of part of the jaw.
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.
Seventy-seven animals that were not seized were taken to the RSPCA’s Lonsdale shelter to be examined by vets.
The dogs in the filthy building were popular smaller breeds: 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 calling it a “house of horrors” and one of the most “extreme cases of animal hoarding” the RSPCA had ever seen.
The animals were found everywhere in the house, including on the kitchen shelves surrounded by food (photo)
There were so many animals in the filthy house that dogs were forced to find every available space. There was dirt lining the walls and feces, mixed with hair and dirt, had hardened on the floor, making it uneven (photo)
“These defendants were registered breeders and had previously supplied puppies to pet stores,” he said.
“Imagine how you would feel if you bought one of those puppies and later learned the conditions under which it was bred and kept.”
RSPCA officers returned to the scene on November 10, 2020 and were confronted with more harrowing scenes, including a goat with a broken leg and starving tortoises.
The RSPCA took all the remaining animals, except four dogs, for the women’s mental health.
All seized animals have now been rehomed.
The RSPCA said its legal adviser Simon Perrie stated the offenses were so serious that a prison sentence was required.
However, Mr Perrie believed a prison sentence should be suspended given the age of the women and their lack of criminal history.
Magistrate Edward Stratton-Smith agreed and gave the pair a six-month prison sentence, reduced to three months and 18 days as the women pleaded guilty.
The sentence was suspended on a two-year $500 good behavior bond.
The women also had to pay $2,000 for vet bills, which cost the RSPCA $46,000.
All dogs were popular small to medium breeds, such as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. One, named Winston, was found to be missing an eye and had cancer in his remaining eye. He had other health problems and had to be put to sleep (photo of the dogs on the kitchen floor)