49 puppies, 3 kittens crammed into crates
Brampton, Cumbria, SC (UK)Incident Date: Monday, Jun 30, 2003
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 1 files available
Defendant/Suspect: John Walsh
John Walsh was convicted of animal cruelty and fined £500 by a Scottish court in November 2003, after taking a ferry with 49 puppies and three kittens stuffed into nine carriers in the back of his car". Walsh was also ordered to pay compensation of nearly £2,900 in cost to the SSPCA which took the animals into care.
Walsh pled guilty to causing 49 pups and three kittens unnecessary suffering by denying them adequate space, ventilation and water.
Stranraer Sheriff Court heard that, Walsh, whose address was given as Brampton in Cumbria, had 49 pups and three kittens in the back of his car when he was stopped by police at Cairnryan in July 2003. Many of them were found to be covered in their own urine and faeces, while others had lice. Several of the animals required veterinary treatment. Nine of the pups were in such a poor condition that they had to be given emergency treatment by vets.
The court was shown a video of the animals taken by inspectors for the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Fining Walsh, Sheriff Brian Adair said he accepted that it had been an error of judgement.
Doreen Graham, a spokeswoman for the SSPCA, said the fine was disappointing. "The £500 is the resale price of just two puppies. The potential for misery for these animals was unbelievably high. "Given the high temperatures we experienced during the summer, it is a miracle that none of these animals died. References
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