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Case #7670 Rating: 4.5 out of 5
51 rabbits found inside home, 18 removed
Sunnybrook, Marlow, EN (UK)Incident Date: Sunday, Nov 7, 2004
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Jacqueline Miles
A woman who loved her rabbits enough to call them names like Mr Pastry, has admitted 23 charges of animal cruelty. Jaqueline Miles, 57, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to 18 rabbits on March 7, 2006 at Wycombe Magistrates' Court.
The rabbits had been discovered in a poor state of health at her home in Sunnybank, Marlow, after police and the RSPCA visited in November 2004. One rabbit, named Mr Pastry, was so badly neglected that he couldn't move his limbs properly. The court heard that Miles had accumulated so many rabbits that she was unable to care for them. Robin Gates, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, said: "We class Ms Miles as a hoarder. "There are a certain number of offenders who accumulate a large number of animals of a similar variety in such a number that they are unable physically and financially to provide them with necessary care and attention. "I suggest that Ms Miles falls into this category."
Out of the 51 rabbits at her home, 18 were seized by police after a veterinary surgeon said they needed treatment. The rabbits were mainly Angoran breeds and were discovered along with a Shetland pony and a tortoise. After Mr Pastry was given food and water his weight increased by 100 grams in just two days, Mr Gates said. He said the RSPCA would be seeking compensation for the amount of time they kept the rabbits in care. He also asked magistrates to disqualify Miles from keeping caged animals. Mark Phillips, defending, said further issues needed to be looked at before Miles was sentenced. He said: "She is a lady of previous good character and has an elderly mother of 91. "There are other issues that should be looked at and examined by the probation service."
The hearing was adjourned until April 26, 2006, when Miles will be sentenced. She was bailed on the condition that she lived and slept at her home and visited Marlow police station the day before the hearing. Chair of the bench, Jean Tyler, said the court would look at imposing a community sentence for the crimes which were "more serious" because the rabbits appeared to have suffered prolonged neglect. After the hearing, the RSPCA said all 18 rabbits were found without food and water at Miles' home and were thin as a result. Sophie Wilkinson, spokesman, said they had been kept in separate messy hutches in two garden sheds. She added: "Some had overgrown hair." References
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