Photo: Xena and her puppies when found by RSPCA inspectors.
A 47-year-old woman was sentenced in the Berri Magistrates Court today to a custodial penalty (to be served in home detention) following her conviction on multiple charges of animal ill-treatment. Some of the charges were in relation to a dog with six puppies that the woman and her partner were keeping in squalid conditions inside a small, disused toilet block in Coonalpyn.
The woman was also convicted on a charge of breaching a 2018 court order that prohibited her from owning cats, and on a further ten charges of animal ill-treatment for keeping cats in a filthy enclosure with so little food and water that four died. The offences involving these cats were committed by the defendant in mid-2021 and were identified when the RSPCA attended to serve her with a summons for the first matter.
The woman has a history dating back to 2017 of containing animals in unsuitable ways, including dogs and cats kept inside vehicles and cats inside a tent. In October 2017, RSPCA South Australia inspectors attended at the woman and her partner's Coonalpyn property in response to a cruelty report and seized five cats and a dog due to inadequate living conditions.
Following this seizure, the woman was convicted on five counts of ill-treatment of an animal and one count of failing to comply with an Animal Welfare Order (issued by RSPCA inspectors six months earlier) in relation to cats and dogs she was keeping in a vehicle at Keith. As part of her sentence, handed down on 23 February 2018, the woman was prohibited from owning any cats, until further order.
In July 2019 the woman was found to be in custody of two cats at the Coonalpyn property. She claimed the animals had been left with her by a friend. The attending RSPCA inspector took one of the cats into care, but the other cat could not be caught. The inspector warned the woman not to risk breaching the court order again.
Four months later, in November 2019, RSPCA inspectors reattended at the Coonalpyn property following reports that there were more cats at the property. During formal interviews, the woman's partner claimed the cats were his and not his partner's. He was then notified in writing by RSPCA SA's Chief Inspector that - in order for his partner to comply with the court order – he could not house any cats at properties where she resided.
In January 2021, RSPCA SA received advice that the woman was keeping adult dogs and puppies inside a disused toilet block at Coonalpyn's former showgrounds. Warrants were obtained to attend that property as well as the defendant's Coonalpyn residence. On 28 January 2021, RSPCA inspectors, a local council inspector and SA police officers attended at the showgrounds.
A wire door at the entrance to the toilet block was barricaded with star droppers and fence posts. The barricade was removed to access an adult German Shepherd and her six puppies. The adult dog was emaciated and at this point managed to escape the toilet block by squeezing between the bottom of the gate and the concrete floor, a space of approximately 10cm. All of the dogs stank, with the puppies' fur covered in faeces and urine. The dogs had no bedding, water or food and a built-up crust of faeces covered the approximately 1.6m x 1.2m floor area. The RSPCA inspector used a spade to cut into the crust and found that it was 3 to 4 cm deep.
The litter of pups and their mother were transported to the council's works depot before RSPCA, accompanied by police and the council inspector, attended at the couple's Coonalpyn residence and executed the second warrant, with the defendant present.
A number of cats and kittens were observed in the front yard and inside the house, including one that was heavily pregnant. Four cats were seized at this time.
Later that day the animals were taken to the RSPCA animal shelter at Lonsdale and examined by vet Dr Julie Hearn. The adult dog – named Zena – was observed to be ravenous, her coat was dull and damp on her underbelly, and she smelt strongly of faeces and urine. Dr Hearn gave the dog a body score condition of 1/9, indicating emaciation. Zena's six puppies were found to be approximately 16-weeks-old, and slightly underweight.
On 17 July 2021, RSPCA SA inspectors found cats being kept inside an aviary on a property at Summertown. The ten surviving cats were emaciated and had begun to cannibalise the bodies of four deceased ones. RSPCA SA inspectors seized the surviving cats and rushed five of them to an external vet for urgent treatment due to their emaciated states. The defendant said the cats were fed at least twice a week and that she checked on their welfare daily.
All animals seized or surrendered in relation to this case recovered in RSPCA SA care and were rehomed, except a six-month-old kitten found in an emaciated state at the Summertown property who died due to chronic infection and malnutrition.
In the Berri Magistrates Court today, Magistrate Melanie Burton said she found it difficult to understand why the defendant did not address the care needs of her animals.
"The animals were totally reliant upon human kindness and received none," Her Honour said.
The defendant was convicted on all counts and sentenced to a custodial penalty of four months and 15 days, to be served on home detention. The existing 2018 prohibition order on cats was extended to include all animals, until further order.
The woman's partner is due to face the Berri Magistrate's court on 29 May on animal ill-treatment charges relating to the dog Zena and her puppies.
